


Travelers from an Antique Land

by GitariArt



Series: Travelers from an Antique Land [1]
Category: D&D3.5, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Fantasy - Fandom, Magic - Fandom, fantasy adventure - Fandom
Genre: Game Log, Gen, Magic, Monsters, Ranger - Freeform, Sorcerers, cleric, desert adventure - Freeform, rogue - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-07-19 18:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 53,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7372939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GitariArt/pseuds/GitariArt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpts from Zorman the Spectacular's travelogues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> As alway, apologies for any spelling or grammar fails. My vision disablity makes catching them hard.

Zorman was born to Zatalia, in a tiny human-dominated boarder village in city-state Maat Akkadi within the Gytios Empire. The villagers were insular, unsophisticated, and uneducated, though travelers did occasionally pass through with news of the larger world. Zatalia was shamed for having a bastard child and ridiculed because Zorman was half-elf. Within a year, Zatalia buckled to social pressures, however she loved her child enough to forgo selling him into slavery, choosing instead to travel to nearest charitable temple. Thus, Zorman was abandoned to the clerics to be raised as an orphan.

The clerics cared for their charges with stern empathy, focused on apprenticing the children to viable trades. The clergy held the long view and most of the orphans would eventually start tithing back to the temple, once they had started actually earning. Unfortunately, due to Zorman’s elfin blood, he developed much slower than the other orphans (all full-human) and was teased and bullied for his ineptitude. So, most of the children were successfully apprenticed between the ages of eight to ten, while Zorman was thirteen before he was deemed suitably competent for a trade. Zorman respected the temple’s tenets, yet harbored enough resentment of the clerics for not protecting him more from the other kids, that he never considered giving back to the temple in later years.

While always weak, Zorman eventually displayed enough mental aptitude that a fairly well known Illusionist, Umlaut Opalescentbeard, accepted him as a personal scribe and general servant. It also helped that Zorman was quite attractive, as all of Umlaut’s staff and apprentices were pleasant to look at. Zorman was told that if he showed any abilities towards wizardry, then some day he too could become an apprentice.

Umlaut’s primary home was a mansion with an illusion of a stereotypical wizard’s tower, located in Maat Akkadi’s capital Murabi. However, Zorman saw very little of the city or world beyond the mansion. When Zorman was allowed to travel with Master Umlaut, he rarely had leave to explore.

Umlaut trained from one to three apprentices at any given time, with a fairly high turn over rate. Apprentices would inevitably offend the master’s ego, or would grow disillusioned with the master is some way. Regardless, apprentices were the highest ranking of Umlaut’s underlings and most treated the lesser staff (such as Zorman) harshly and with ridicule. Although, Zorman, Umlaut’s factotum Maz, and a few others still outranked the dozen or so slaves.

Amongst more menial tasks, Zorman’s duties included reading and writing the master’s correspondences, as well as organizing the library. Thus, Zorman had access to all of Umlaut’s wizarding texts. Yet, try as he might, Zorman simply could not manifest any magical talent. In spite of this, Umlaut, more often than not, would take Zorman with him, as the now quite famous illusionist toured various noble courts across Gyptios, though mainly Maat Akkadi, then nearby Portus, occasionally the island-state of Pelepos, and once even the distant barbarian land of Gallias.

As the years passed, Zorman also grew to be unimpressed with Umlaut’s high opinion of himself and the haughty ways in which he treated most people. By the time that Zorman was twenty-one, he had gleaned enough arcane knowledge to suspect that Umlaut might have more selfishly nefarious designs on all of his apprentices and many of his servants.

          Around that time, Umlaut took Zorman on another journey into the vast desert beyond Portus. It was one of Umlaut’s occasional non-performance centric trips (for researching, consulting, or the like) and as such he always took a minimal staff. This time, Zorman had the “honor” of being the Grand Illusionist’s only servant and the pair wound up in the smallish market town of Smyrna, straddling the mountains and vast desert.

Umlaut met with a priestess of Thoth in a remarkably seedy inn. While the private meeting took place, Zorman was embroiled into (what was for him, at the time) a most exciting adventure.

After that trip, Zorman became more discontent with his lot in life and more confident in himself, as well as (and somewhat counter intuitively) a more faithful follower of Thoth. . In short order, Zorman gathered what meager belongings he had amassed over the years and fled his master’s service. Zorman was very careful to not take anything that might have been considered to belong to Umlaut, in an effort to minimize the chance of being hunted down.

Not long thereafter, Zorman discovered that he had sorceress abilities. The young half-elf did not return to Umlaut to seek forgiveness and apprentiship for several reasons, his wanderlust was too strong, sorcerers did not need teachers, and Umlaut only taught illusionist in any case. Most importantly, however, Zorman was now convinced that Umlaut somehow co-opted the magical powers of those around him. Thus, Zorman’s own arcane abilities had been suppressed, until he fled his servitude.

With no real survival training, Zorman wandered from village to village and town to town. The fledgling sorcerer knew that other professions existed, however he had only ever seen performing magic in any detail. So, Zorman cobbled together a largely mundane act to perform in village squares or taverns, usually making enough for a meal or two and maybe some lodging. Zorman was very careful to not use Umlaut’s name, lest the egotist get wind of such a transgression. While many had fled the illusionist service without his wasting energy to seek them, those that had tried to capitalize on or impulse the name of Umlaut Opalescentbeard were all subjected to nightmarish lives trapped in hallucinatory hellscapes. Luckily, Zorman was also observant and bright, so quickly learned to adapt his routine. Zorman, especially, discovered that he had a talent for talking, which led to his act evolving into something more of a collection of tall-tales and humorous anecdotes, punctuated with some magic like tricks. Although, Zorman did also incorporate Dancing Lights and later Unseen Servant, in order to make the tricks more magical.

Zorman’s growth in confidence and communication skills also served him in other ways. The fine-featured lad found as a slender, dark haired, “mysterious” stranger/performer, he was fairly successful with the ladies. Zorman was also able to talk his way into a few nobleman’s homes and parties. Plus, convincing tavern owners or caravans to hire the unimposing sorcerer. On more than one occasion, Zorman had to talk his way out of a beating, from disgruntled audience members, jealous boyfriends’/husbands, etc.

Very early on, Zorman spent a few seasons traveling Maat Akkadi with a small circus, mostly as a general assistant. In addition to performing, the small troupe had several

Very early on, Zorman spent a few seasons traveling Maat Akkadi with a small circus, mostly as a general assistant. In addition to performing, the small troupe had several adventures and encounters in towns and the wilderness between, increasing Zorman’s experience all the more. Especially, training the charismatic lad to never travel alone. Unfortunately, the circus was attacked by a family of griffons. Too many of the performers were dead or maimed, to continue with the show. Zorman had aided in the fight and was fortunate enough to survive without significant injuries.

Furthermore, it was discovered that the lead bard of the carnival had been hording simple magic items, without telling the other performers. Various scrolls and potions, as well as oddments like a comb which could alter anyone’s hair color and style, were divvied up between the surviving troupe members. While most of the others had to pay for clerical healing, Zorman sold his chare off as needed for piece-meal training to improve his skills, sorcerous and otherwise. The magic items kept Zorman’s training well finded for most of the following years, though purses and favors from noble patrons also helped a great deal.

and encounters in towns and the wilderness between, increasing Zorman’s experience all the more. Especially, training the charismatic lad to never travel alone. Unfortunately, the circus was attacked by a family of griffons. Too many of the performers were dead or maimed, to continue with the show. Zorman had aided in the fight and was fortunate enough to survive without significant injuries.

With the circus disbanded, Zorman turned to hiring himself out to merchant and caravans whenever he sought to travel any significant distances. Which meant that Zorman more often than not went where the cargo was going, rather than choosing a destination. Zorman’s first such employment was as record keeper and story teller on a ship to Pelepos, where tinyphants had become an aristocratic fashion accessory. To Zorman’s great delight, one such animal became his familiar, Troubadour. In time, caravan masters came to like hiring Zorman for two reasons. Firstly, the sorcerer worked relatively cheap. Secondly, bandits favored heavily guarded caravans, assuming the more spent on protection equaled the more to protect. Innocuous looking Zorman’s use of Unseen Servant and Magic Weapon spells, made him a competent guard without attracting those heavy hitter bandits. Zorman maintained a reliable reputation , without heroics, so lives general obscurity.

Throughout all of these journeys, Zorman’s true passion remained knowledge, in particular arcane lore and objects. Hence, Zorman’s real preference for noble houses, especially those with libraries. While not above taking something, if he truly believed that he could get away with it, Zorman usually settled for knowing that once read the knowledge of a book would always travel with him.

At the age of twenty five, Zorman found himself back in the vast desert of Gyptios and once more traveling towards Smyrna. While nostalgic for that first real adventure, Zorman is no longer so naïve or skittish.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data.


	2. Improbable Reun

Excerpts from Zorman the Spectacular’s early travelogues

 

The day: hot and desert

Jubrani was incensed over the loss of his precious alchemist fire. If it had been left up to the merchant alone, Zorman would have been abandoned in the desert with the giant bombardier beetle carcasses. Fortunately, for Zorman, Jubrani’s other hirelings, Khalid the ranger and Terrance the barbarian had recognized Zorman’s contribution in the related battle, towards all of their survivals. The intimidating musclemen interceded on Zorman’s behalf, to the extent of convincing Jubrani to let the sorcerous half-elf continue with them as far as the next oasis. Neither of the two advocates were willing to further risk their payment, so Zorman would be left unpaid to fend for himself, at the oasis.

          Zorman mood raised somewhat, when the oasis of Bes-Faiz proved to be fairly bustling with other potential traveling groups. Plus, Jubrani had been convinced to not try and confiscate any of Zorman’s gear or his riding jub-jub. So, the intrepid sorcerer and his faithful familiar, Troubadour, were likely to appear as useful to some caravan or other. “Even if we have to go back to Siope.” Zorman told his jeweled tinyphant. “Just so long, as we don’t have to risk the desert wilderness alone.”

          Bes-Faiz was the ancient remnant s of a town, occasional bits of architecture still visible around the large central spring-fed lake. Zorman wandered the oasis, getting a feel for the place and a sense of what types of travelers were present. Or so the half-elf and vibrant-blue tinyphant companion had intended. Before meeting any of the people, though, Zorman came upon an intriguing bit of ruin.

A low chunk of wall, covered in small tokens (dry flowers, clay dice, a stone chess piece, wax figurines, and the like) and bearing an unusual hieroglyph. The depiction was clearly a personification, which Zorman happened to recognize from extensive readings. The image of Bes, the pernicious God of Luck.

Even though, or perhaps because, Zorman’s patron deity was All-knowing Thoth, the young sorcerer was a fairly open minded poly-theist. “Plus,” Zorman murmured to Troubadour, “why risk upsetting a fate god, once we’ve stumbled onto His shrine. Especially, when we could use some more favorable luck, just now.”

Thus, Zorman fished in his pouch for an offering, disappointed with himself for not having something more like a playing card or die. Handing a copper coin into Troubadour’s trunk, half-elf and familiar each flipped their offerings onto the weathered-stone outcropping. Zorman made no specific prayer, fickle Bes would help or not as suited Him, regardless of what a petitioner asked.

          No sooner had the coppers _clinked_ onto the sun-bleached stone, than a sleek pseudo-sphinx padded out from around the altar’s far side. Even though the woman-faced abyssinian was barely as big as, and far more slender than, the two-foot high troubadour, Zorman took a fretful step backwards. The studious sorcerer knew enough about the miniature-sphinx creatures to realize that they were more dangerous than they appeared. Not the least of which, for being favored by vengeful Bast, and in this case, ”coincidentally” appearing at another God’s shrine.

          “Hale, traveler.” The pseudo-sphinx greeted.

Zorman nervously and cautiously waved, “Greetings, fair lady.”

Sitting proudly on its haunches, it was hard to tell of the little human face favored the complement, or if the smile was more mischievous. “Do you believe yourself clever, intelligent, or wise?”

Speaking with a potential messenger of the Gods, is no time for false modesty, Zorman told himself. So, the sorcerer answered “Yes, not all three, certainly, though surely at least one.”

“In that case, will you answer my riddle, to win this ruby?” It was unclear from whence the creature produced the red-jewel, which it deftly held in one outstretched paw. “Fail and I get your eye.”

Zorman hesitated, but resolved that A-he had just claimed to be smart or clever, so time to put his eye where his mouth was and B-he was too curious to not try. Aloud Zorman said, “Agreed.”

“My belly is full, trees grow on my back,” the pseudo-sphinx purred around a wide grin, “I have no feet, iron is nails in my ribs.”

“Hmmm…” Zorman considered, he had heard and read many riddles, yet that was not readily familiar. The literary half-elf was almost too clever for his own good, though, as he mentally tried rewording the riddle, first to make it more familiar, then to see if he could make it rhyme. The sphinx was starting to gloat menacingly, when Zorman realized the answer, with a snap of his fingers, “You’re a sailing ship!”

“Cheater!” the magical beast screeched with indignation. “Cheater! You didn’t know!”

Zorman shrugged, “I don’t see how someone can cheat at riddles, unless it’s to not pay the price for loosing.”

“Take the dumb stone,” the pseudo-sphinx hurled the little ruby at Zorman,  “you smelly cheater!”

Troubadour’s trunk snatched the crimson gem from mid-air. Then boy and tinyphant backed away from the invective-spitting riddle-beast.

After that, Zorman needed a moment to settle his nerves. Finding a fairly secluded spot, at the base of two palm trees, Zorman tucked his ruby prize away, in the secret place which he used for such things. Then, the half-elf and petite pachyderm tucked into their rations. Zorman was just beginning to appreciate the scenery…

 

Sometime later: another day – hot, dry, rank, and claustrophobic

Zorman woke to aches and pains and thirst and hunger and someone nudge-kicking his ankle, which only added to the overall discomfort. At first, the half-elf thought that it was Jubrani pressing the small caravan for an early start, as there was very little light. Then, Zorman recalled being relieved of his duties to that party. Besides, the soreness felt like having been mugged. “Oh, Gods dammit.” The sorcerer curse softly in draconic. “Troubadour? You okay buddy? Where are you?”

          While Zorman felt the deep fear that his familiar had been stolen or killed, a male voice spoke, also in draconic, “I don’t know anything about whatever you’re babbling. And, it would be way more useful, if you’d pull yourself together, to focus on the here and now.”

          Sensing Troubadour somewhere within a hundred yards, via their empathic link, Zorman was able to calm himself and follow the stranger’s advice. They were sitting up in a large rickety-wooden box. There were five humanoids (counting Zorman) and a cheetah. All of them had been shackled to the wall of the box, with heavy iron manacles—the people with wrists to either side at ear level, the big cat by a collar and short lead. Thanks to Zorman’s elfin heritage he could see such details perfectly well, in the few slivers of sunlight which made their way through the old woodwork. Thus, Zorman also recognized most of the other occupants, including the one conscious fellow who had kicked the half-elf awake.

          Grayson Enderon, was how the human had introduced himself, what must have been three years earlier. It was his holy mistress of Thoth, whom had “met” with Zorman’s pompous master. While the priestess and illusionist did whatever lascivious things they did, in that seedy tavern’s private room, Grayson and a couple of other youths had embroiled Zorman in his first adventure. Zorman probably would not have found Thoth, or the courage to leave Master Opalescentbeard, if not for that encounter.      

In fact, the lad that had acted as their local guide and mumbled his name… Gobbens, or Gortex, Gobbit?… no, it was Gorbesh! Gorbesh was actually shackled to the wall, next to Grayson. Zorman wondered if the two humans had thrown in together as compatriots, after that first adventure.

The curious half-elf did not recognize the scantily-clad woman on his right (across from Grorbesh), but his left held Kiva, the desert elf from that same earlier encounter in the market town of Smyrna. Which meant, the angry cheetah was Kiva’s animal companion, all grown up. It seemed much less likely that the nomadic elf would have joined the fairly crude humans.

          “What are the odds?” Zorman resorted to the tongue of humans. “Grayson, is that really you?”

          “Hey, I recognize that voice…” The human acolyte squinted into the gloom. “Aren’t you that weird half-elf kid, with the homosexual wizard master?”

          “Um,” Zorman always hesitated to talk about Umlaut Opalescentbeard, “well bisexual, I’m pretty sure. But, yes, it’s me and I did grow out of that awkwardness, once I got away from him.” Zorman swallowed thick saliva and steered the conversation back to their immediate predicament. “Plus, it looks like Gorbesh is next to you. Also, Kiva and his cheetah are over here. There’s also a woman that I don’t recognize.”

          “Who?” Grayson wrinkled his brow at the names.

          “Goresh, the townie that showed you around, back in Smyrna, when we all met.’ Zorman got a better look to his left. “And, Kiva’s the elf with the big cat. Only that’s more of a ‘was’, now. Looks like whoever grabbed us, broke his neck.” Zorman added, more to himself. “Which explains why the cat is so pissed.”

          “And, that distinctive odor.” Grayson said, unfazed. “So, do you know where we are, or where we’re heading?”

          Which is when Zorman registered the slight creaking and jostling. The box-cell turned out to be an enclosed cart, in motion. Yet another reason for the cheetah to be discomforted. Zorman quickly checked his link to Troubadour. The bright blue and green familiar was thirsty and scared, but at least was keeping pace with Zorman’s prison. “Hopefully, the intrepid little guy is free and following on foot” Zorman thought to himself, while suspecting that his familiar was similarly captured.

          With no other answers, Zorman suggested rousing the other two still breathing humanoids. Introductions were made all around. Gorbesh clarified that his name was actually Goreth, while the lady said, “You can call me Qadira, Qadira albint Qamar, if it matters.”

          When Qadira shifted, her tight corn-rowed braids of black hair draped away, to reveal the slightly pointed ears of another half-elf. Zorman’s heart lept, for the rarity of meeting another like himself. So, desperate to make a favorable first impression, in even those miserable conditions, the sorcerer spoke to Qadira in elfin. Putting on a brave front of casualness, Zorman hoped to reassure the justifiably tense lady. “Oh, hey you’re half-elf, too. How-you-doin’ pretty lady?”

          Hearing this, Grayson immediately started hitting on Qadira. The human, while somewhat charming, was also relentless and grossly inappropriate considering the setting. It was as if Grayson had only just discovered sex and getting laid would also somehow free them from their shackles.

          In the meantime and with introductions out of the way, the four captives also made efforts to liberate their hands and learn more of their predicament. Grayson, impressively, dislocated his thumb, freeing his left hand, with hardly any painful whimpering. In spite of acting as if Goreth was too lowly to be remembered, Grayson correctly suspected the non-descript fellow human of being able to pick locks. While the two humans fumbled around, with a coordinated attempt at having Grayson retrieve Goreth’s hidden picks, then getting talked through opening the locks, Qadira bloodied her wrists. In a surprisingly successful display of brute force, the slender female snapped the metal binding her, with a stoic comment about, “Cheap pig-iron.”

          At Zorman’s prompting, Qadira searched Kiva’s body, in hopes that the jailors had been less thorough, when lifting weapons from a corpse. The cheetah’s proximity to Kiva’s body somewhat hampered Qadira’s effort. Yet, the strong lady did come away with a candle, which she lit to aid the efforts of the poor-sighted humans.

The dreadful sense, of their captors bursting in at any moment, made every ineffectual action seem to take forever. Even so, it was only a few minutes before all four humanoids were unchained and further assessing their situation and assets.

Peering through the chinks of the cart, the four captives determined that they were traveling through the trackless desert, their captors were four hyenaids, and that the large humanoid canines seemed to have all of their stolen gear and mounts, as well as the cart, two oxen, and an armored camel.

“I’ve heard about these guys.” Goreth said with mild admiration. “Thought they sounded cool, at the time. Now though, I’m really not looking forward to what they’re gonna do.”

“Meaning?” Grayson somehow managed to sound imperious.

“Well, they’re slavers,” Goreth explained, “only they don’t bother with the sanctioned markets of the state. They’ll either keep us, or sell us to equally barbaric foreigners.”

“What’s worse,” Qadira added, “I’m pretty sure it’s been a day and a half since I was ambushed at Bes-Faiz oasis. And if they haven’t given us food or water yet, I’m not sure they will.”

“But, they have to, right?” Grayson was nervous. “We won’t make good slaves dead, after all.”

The other three shook their heads, Zorman voiced the reason, “Live we’re slaves, dead we’re meat. The hyenaids can use either. Why else drag Kiva’s body along?”

The improbable allies also verified that Zorman had successfully hidden a dagger, Goreth a punch dagger, and Qadira had metal hair-sticks which served as weapons as well as fashion accessories. Zorman and Grayson also retained their Thoth holy symbols, though that really only mattered for the cloistered cleric. At least, the sorcerer, he had rested enough to fully recharge his spell casting abilities. So, it was just a matter of planning where, when, and how best to break free, preferably reclaiming all confiscated valuables along the way. Though, Grayson did not speak of specifics, over those hours of planning, it became clear that he was especially concerned with some item which he had been carrying for his mistress.

Fortuitously(?), Qadira predicted a large sandstorm to arrive in the evening or next morning. Meanwhile, Zorman had set unseen servants to using his dagger and the remnants of Qadira’s manacles to relentlessly scrape weak-spots into the cart’s floor. The divine and arcane spell casters outlined what spells they could bring to bring to bear. Thus, the foursome made plans to bust free, when the storm arrived. Then, go after their weapons, while fending off the hyenaids, as best they could. Zorman’s inexperienced belief was that fighting the larger and better armed foes, while they were blinded by sand, would be the prisoner’s best advantage. In hind sight, sneaking out to retrieve weapons, during the sandstorm, then surprise attacking as soon as the winds died down, would probably have been better.

 

The day: hot, howling loud, and covered in blinding sand.

The storm hit the following morning and the prisoners made their move. Grayson had summoned forth fresh water, by Thoth’s pleasure, so the captives were not as fatigued as they may have been. Also, the hyenaids had been traveling again, for almost a half-hour, so the four of them were mounted, but spread out.

Throughout the ensuing conflict, Zorman imagined Bes watching with malicious glee, as He toyed with their fates. Although, the wind and sand was to strong to stand for anything smaller than a hyenaid or a horse, so that may have accounted for the number of missed attacks made by all involved. Yet, in the end two hyenaids were slain, while the other two ran off on foot into the blinding gale. None of the liberated captives died, though Goreth, Qadira, and all of the mounts had suffered significant damage—mostly from the icy blasts of Grayson’s summoned extra planar monsters.

Qadira was further upset at having accidently harmed herself several times. In addition to being pissed that Grayson’s divinely summoned griffon had slain the enemy’s camel riding leader. On the other hand, Zorman was quite impressed with the arrogant cleric.

Qadira predicted that the storm was likely to last all day. So, Zorman set his unseen servants to gathering all the hyenaids and stolen gear into the shelter of the cart. The group conceded that their best guess for proper desert elf funeral rights was to leave Kiva’s body exposed in the desert, to be reclaimed by nature. On the other hand, the cheetah would fetch a fine price in a decent market town, so it was kept chained in the corner. Zorman had his unseen servant’s render the two dead hyenaids into strips of meat for feeding the cheetah and the three males’ jub-jubs.

While waiting out the storm, Zorman started storytelling to past the time. The sorcerer also wanted to verify that he too could be useful in battle, so he relayed the tale of how and why Jubrani had abandoned him at Bes-Faiz. All in turn shared their tales of what had brought them to the ill fated oasis.

Qadira spoke cryptically of a personal falling out with someone or ones, causing her to high off alone into the world, only to find her way to the ill fated oasis of Bes-Faiz.

Goreth was even more obscure, regarding his master or dad’s (never really clear to Zorman) directive, to leave Smyrna for a time. Although, the soft-spoken human did artfully distract his audience from such concerns, with a tale of his encounter at Bes-Faiz’s shrine. Supposedly, Goreth had encountered an imp or quasit, which gambled for the human’s ear. Silver tongued Goreth bartered the creature down to playing for his mirror, which he indeed lost.

Grayson continued to be the most interesting, from Zorman’s perspective, as the young servant of Thoth was ultimately returning to Luxor and Thoth’s main temple-library with a mysterious relic. If the unspecified item were a book or scroll, Zorman very much wanted to stay with Grayson long enough to try and read it.

Furthermore, Zorman strongly advocated the need to only travel the wilds with accompaniment. The other agreed, at least in so much as they would certainly stay together until they reached a civilized town. Qadira verified that she was a ranger and, when the sands had settled, estimated that their party lay roughly central between the oases of Bes-Faiz, Bakti, and Dak. While Zorman had originally been heading to Smyrna, beyond Bakti, he had no problem avoiding those places for Goreth’s sake. Plus, Grayson had just come from there as well. None of the foursome were keen to return to Bes-Faiz. Leaving Dak, which fortuitously led on to Esna and then Luxor beyond. So, Grayson could complete his mission, Zorman mighty have an in with the library-church, and the other two would grow with the experiences of their shared walkabouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	3. Deserty Scales

The day: hot, dry, and scaly

Qadira woke the other three former captives, before dawn. Having died away, the sandstorm left the desert once more a static landscape of indistinguishable dunes. All four unlikely companions had slept in tents or under the stars, since the dead druid’s cheetah was still being kept in the cart.

          Devoutly bald Grayson had called upon Thoth’s graces to magically mend the escape hole, which the group had made in the floor of the slaver’s box-cart, previously. And, Qadira albint Qamar had been able to get the cheetah to eat some of the strips of hyenaid meat, which Zorman’s spell casting had prepared.

          “Don’t wanna get up.” Grayson moaned. “Too dark.”

          “I’m not interested in your weak human eyes.” Qadira explained, bluntly. “We need to travel as much as we can, before the heat gets unbearable for the oxen.”

          “Then what?” Goreth had simply got up and started getting ready.

          “Then, we camp and rest, as best we can.” The female half-elf was surprised that she needed to explain something so obvious. “We’ll start moving again close to sunset and go until it gets too cold, then camp again, and repeat tomorrow.”

          Zorman was used to such a schedule, from his time with various other caravans, so had nothing to say on the subject. Besides, the sorcerer was more concerned about the dozen or so lizards which clung to the party’s two oxen. The reptiles were nearly as large as Troubadour and covered in vicious-looking pointy protrusions.

          “Are they eating the oxen?” Zorman asked, after drawing his companion’s attentions to the issue. “Or, are they shockers? I’ve heard of lizards that discharge electricity.”

          “No,” Qadira chuckled, “They’re just horned-lizards. Mundane and harmless, the scales are just unpleasant if your not careful. They must have just found the oxen as a good heat source in the night.”

          “Should we collect them?” Zorman asked, then clarified for his blinking companions. “Like to sell, along with the cheetah and oxen? Or, as food for our jub jubs?”

          “I don’t think anyone wants to by ugly non-magical lizards.” Goreth observed.

          “Hmmm,” Qadira nodded agreement, “and the jubs may get hungry enough to try, but generally the lizard’s horny-scales are an effective deterrent.”

          So, Zorman cast Unseen Servant and had the spell lift the lizards away from their beasts of burden. The first horned lizard so lifted sprayed a jet of viscous red fluid from its eyes, though.

          “Hey, whoa!” Grayson exclaimed to Qadira. “I thought they weren’t dangerous? What is that, acid,? Poison?”

          The studded-leather wearing ranger-lady shrugged, “It’s just blood. It’s their defense mechanism.”

          “That’s awesome!” Goreth watched closer, while the other two males winced with distaste.

          Eventually, the lizards were all set to the side, in a hissing and blood-spattered pile. Meanwhile Grayason Enderson, devotee of Divine Thoth, called forth a miraculous blessing of fresh water. The hyenaid slavers had two nearly full barrels of water amongst their gear, however the party opted to enjoy the God-given liquid and ration the barrels out to their oxen. Zorman also had his unseen servant use some of the water to rinse eye-blood off of large beasts.

          “They’re smell isn’t going to improve with that viscera baking in the sun.” Zorman explained to the others, when they teased him. “Plus, it’s more likely to attract predators, thinking the Oxen are wounded, right?”

          After a flavorless hard-tack breakfast and brief discussion, the party headed off. The conversation had been to determine who would drive the rickety cart. Qadira was the only member suited to riding the captured warcamel and Grayson felt that anything less than his warjub was impossible to consider. Zorman admitted that he was as familiar with steering a cart as a horse, meaning barely able. So, in case of spooking, Goreth took the cart, with his jub jub tethered to the side.

          The blazing glory of Re-Horakhty’s solar-barge was well into its upward arc of the sky and the four travelers had covered a fair amount of distance, as well, if one allowed for the plodding pace of their oxen, when a sun-wagon appeared on the horizon. Only the brassy metal sphere was significantly different than any of the gnomish devices that any of the four travelers had ever seen. Firstly, there was no visible means of propulsion, whereas typical sun-wagons were rolled by giant scarabs. Secondly, rather than the size of a standard cart (perhaps eight-feet in diameter), the mystery sphere was easily thirty-feet in diameter.

          The shiny sphere veered, to follow the party of wanderers, eventually revealing an aperture which made the thing seem like a colossal eye. After a period of mutual cautious inspection, Grayson grew bold and bored enough to address the eye-thing. Resulting in a polite conversation and then halting to talk more in person.

          The eye-mobile indeed turned out to be of gnomish make and operation. Within the machine, referred to as an orbipede, were three gnome engineer/pilot/traders called Azod, Bipin, and Chandra. Pleasant enough in general, the gnomes did have a very superior attitude, which rubbed most of the other party wrong. Grayson especially bristled at being on the receiving end of his own personality. However, Goreth eased into negotiations and conversation with the strange gnomes.

          While the two humans and two half-elves were interested in trade, the haughty gnomes felt that their wares were outside of the scruffy recent-escapees financial means. Nor were the merchants completely wrong. It would have required the travelers to turn over everything that they had captured from the hyenaids, plus much of their personal wealth, to simply afford a single master crafted spyglass. And that would have been if the gnomes even wanted most of the gear. In truth the gnomes were only interested in coins, gem, or magic, in exchange for their mechanical wonders. So, the idea of purchasing one of the grapefruit sized devices, which the gnomes referred as a compass, was right out, as they cost double or more the most expensive spyglasses.

          Ultimately, Grayson parted with a potion for a decent, although not nearly top quality spyglass. Zorman haggled for shade-goggles, paying out thirteen of the hyenaid’s golden-loins and twenty of the silver-hawks. Zorman had hoped to trade the dead druid's Magic Fang scroll and some cash for such sun-protectors for everyone in this party, however the gnomes had no others to spare. Zorman attempted to make some of his money back by offering his sorcerous services, as well. Instead of cash though, the gnomes traded a fine bottle of elf-wine for Zorman to cast ray of frost into there barrel of gnomish-whisky, effectively freezing what little water was within.

          Meanwhile, Goreth dealt in information. Discovering that these traveling gnomes had dealings with the triplet gnome merchants of his home town, Smyrna, made the conversation much smoother. There was also some implication that the gnomes of Smyrna employed a secret tunnel system. The orbipede drivers also talked of a special non-human oasis, which could only be reached via the Moon Path. Unfortunately, even with Goreth’s charm and the others trading, the gnomes refused to share any secrets of the how or where of the Moon Path and they were insistent that the oasis to which it led would be far to dangerous for mere humans.

          “Well,” Grayson would say, once the meeting broke up, “we have to follow them, right?”

          “Um,” Zorman observed, “I kind of assumed that the oasis that they’re going to trade at, is the one that the hyenaids were taking us to. You know, to be sold as slaves or meat.”

          Which was enough to quell any further interest in seeking the Moon Path or its destination. Luckily, Qadira had also chatted with one of the gnomes and, though they had no maps to offer, they were able to provide some better guidance to Dak oasis. So, the party continued on its original path.

          Within short order, Grayson (playing with his new expensive toy) spied buzzards ahead. Hours later, the troupe came upon the source of the carrion-bird’s interest. A dead wild camel, lay bloated in stinking in the sun.

          While the city raised aristocratic cleric, Grayson, was insistent that simple dehydration was the cause of the camels demise, Qadira offered a more believable account. “No tracks of a large predator… nor similar wounds on the carcass… ah ha, poison!”

          “What?!” All three males were incredulous. While it was Zorman that added, “It was assassinated? Does that even make sense?”

          Qadira sighed and rolled her eyes, “No, of course it doesn’t, because that is ridiculous.” Using her spear tip, she raise the corpse’s foot. “Here, see the discoloration around these two punctures… that’s a snake bite.” She let the foot drop. “And quite small by the spacing of the punctures, but impressively toxic to take down a camel.”

          Moving on, Grayson picked out more carcasses in the desert. Each time Qadira grew more excited. Grayson admonished, “We should be angling away from the trail of poison-riddled death.”

          Qadira countered, “What is the matter with you? Do you still suckle your mommy? This is the desert, full of danger, adventure, and glory! We just need to seek it out.”

          Goreth was easily swayed by such rhetoric. Zorman was iffy about heading towards a known-deadly source or sources of poison, yet preferred to follow the ranger’s lead in the harsh environment. Thus, Grayson, unwilling to head off alone into the trackless desert, stayed with the group. Fortunately the trail of dead was not far off from the ultimate goal of Dak.

          Even so, as the hours and various bodies (a couple giant ants, some large rats, a coyote, etc.) past, Qadira grew more and more frustrated with her inability to discern a useful part of the pattern. So, eventually it became too dark and too cold to continue and the party made camp. Everyone opted to sleep together, atop their rickety box-cart, to be off of the ground.

Smug and arrogant as ever, Grayson refused to take a watch. Since there weren’t enough party members to double up watches to make Grayson take one, the rest agreed to just let the cleric have his way, while they took four watches. Troubadour was employed for the forth watch, with a handy (trunky, in his case) bell to sound alarm if enemies did appear.

 

day – dry with extra-hot and slithery

The party followed its procedures from the previous day, Qadira fed cheetah, Thoth granted Grayson the ability to call forth fresh water, and so forth. no lizards beset the pair of oxen. Though, Qadira was eager to keep going, for she had experienced an epiphany in the evening and was confident that she could triangulate the source of the wilderness poisonings.

          Just past sunrise, the party paused for bearing and Qadira’s warcamel, Captain, began to dance uneasily. A robust full grown asp was slithering about Captain’s feet.

          Zorman had just been recounting how, for the last couple of years, he had primarily worked as a freelance caravan guard—to which Grayson was especially incredulous. So, the sorcerer saw the venomous reptile as a perfect opportunity to prove his worth. Employing his pair of light crossbows and an unseen servant, for reloading, Zorman deftly wounded the asp twice. Even so, it still fell to Qadira to provide the finishing blow.

          “if you boys are finished showing off,” The female half-elf rebuked, “I’d like to find the source of the problem.”

          “Uh, that wasn’t it?” Zorman and Grayson asked together.

          Qadira merely sighed, shook her head, and prodded Captain forward. An hour or so later, the ranger gestured triumphantly to a squarish hole in the sand, at the top of a dune. After Grayson made an unsolicited comment about finding the desert’s asp-hole, Qadira dismounted and explained, “This is really something. Natural holes are never that square in shape, nor at the top of dunes.”

          Excited to impress the pretty semi-elfin lass, Goreth insisted on shedding some light. The smooth talking human produced a couple of sun-rods from his gear and tossed them into the hole. Crouching around the roughly five-foot gap, all four party members saw a vast temple main chamber, about twenty-feet below. From the upper vantage point, few details could be identified, though skeletal remains and living snakes were discerned.

          No one was eager to be first down. Grayson, however, fell victim to his own ego, as Zorman passive-aggressively appealed to the cleric’s aristocratic “superiorities” as a leader. When Grayson was below, alone and fighting off poisonous snakes, Zorman regretted endangering the one person in their party who could beseech God for water and healing.

          Unfortunately, Grayson had once more solicited Thoth for aid in the form of ice-wolves. The extra-planar arctic beasts all exuded damaging waves of frigidity, which in the hyenaid battle had seriously wounded Qadira, Goreth, and nearly everyone’s mount. So, no-one was eager to rush into the enclosed space to stand by more of the icy-divine beasts and their summoner. Sadly, and in spite of being a supposedly wise cleric, Grayson was proven to be more brash in battle than malicious, as his earlier combat had implied. After Grayson suffered some of the effects of the elemental-wolves auras, Qadira and Goreth finally agreed to lift the cleric free via the same rope he had descended.

          “So,” Zorman spoke sardonically, “that looked fun.”

          “Yes, well,” Grayson dusted himself off, “not safe to be sure. Yet, I lewd and cleared the way. So, you may all now tread where once you dreaded to do so.”

          “Not really.” Goreth remained crouched at the hole. “your creatures have vanished and many snake still remain.”

          Everyone confirmed the statement. Grayson hedged, “Well, I could summon more, of course…. However, Glorious Thoth will only grant me so many such servants per day. So, if any greater threats lurk further in, we would be left sorely in need.”

          So, Zorman once more employed his versatile unseen servant and a makeshift scoop (cloak stretched between two staves) to heard the snakes into one location. Then Grayson provided his limited supply of lamp oil, again distributed via unseen servant, over the reptile. Lastly, Zorman hurled in the remaining alchemical fire, which he had secretly retained as payment from his last ill-fated caravan job.

          With the snakes truly dead, the party was free to enter the temple. Except the long abandoned torches and temple alter all burst into a deep crimson divine flame, revealing the hieroglyphs of snake imagery and the elaborately mosaicked statue of a massive snake behind the alter.

          “Holy flaming crap!” Zorman’s blood ran icy. “That’s Apep! This is a temple to the God of destruction!”

          “Oh, yeah,” Grayson feigned nonchalance, “I thought you all knew that already.”

“Was.” Qadira reassured. “It clearly _was_ a temple to Apep. It has also clearly been abandoned and buried for decades. Now it’s just a treasure chest.”

          “How do you figure?” Goreth asked.

          “Look,” Qadira pointed to the flaming alter, “the mystical protections are still in place. Those few that may have found the temple became snake food before they could loot whatever valuables remained.”

          Just like following the trail of corpses, Grayson did not want to raid the lost temple, Goreth was easily swayed to follow Qadira’s greed driven motivations, and Zorman was hesitant. Killing the snakes had obviously activated the temple’s greater defenses, so the sorcerer was unwilling to incur more wrath with further desecration. On the other hand, If Appep targeted Zorman for the snakes, then that was as bad as it could get, so why not at least try and benefit from the fiasco. Plus, the temple walls probably had fascinating tales and maybe other ancient text would be found.

          Troubadour was charged to watch over the steeds and oxen, while the four humanoids descended. Everyone was fully prepared for a trap or divine guardian, Zorman in particular was expecting the huge serpent statue to come alive. So, no-on was caught unaware, when the fire around the alter turned out to be two flaming-cobra elementals. Sadly, as divine guardians the fiery beasts had additional tricks, including a demoralizing wail which left the adventurer’s missing more often than they struck. Grayson also had to deplete his daily graces of summoned ice creatures. In the end though, only the cleric suffered minor wounds and both fire-cobras were beaten back to the dimensional from whence such magical creatures came.

          Goreth found and opened a secret locked panel in the alter. Within the vault was an elaborate bejewel set of evil-destruction cult clerical vestments and a pair of magical bracers (easily divined as abjuration imbued by both Grayson and Zorman). Grayson tricked Goreth into grasping the bracers, while Zorman’s unseen servant handled and refolded the vestments for travel.

Amidst mild teasing that Goreth was probably cursed, Grayson offered to cast identification on the magical armor, “If you have a pearl of sufficient value, of course… Or, we can wait until you buy one in the next big town we reach.”

Zorman happened to have such a gem and sold it to Goreth, without mark up. Grayson In turn All-Knowing Thoth revealed to Grayson and he to the rest that the braces granted a mighty protection against the effects of fire mundane or magical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	4. civil meeting"s"

The day: continued

Moods were generally high. All four of the adventures were able to climb free of that probably desecrated lost temple of Apep, under their own muscle-power. After an hour of chanting and waiting for Zorman’s pearl to dissolve in the cup of wine, Thoth granted faithful Grayson the ability to identify the magics within Goreth’s new bracers. Zorman was jealous of the protection against fire, though he was happy for the hapless merchant(?)… politician(?)…Well, whatever Goreth’s skill set, he needed as much protection of any kind as he could get. Especially, if Qadira kept dragging the party into dangerous situations.

          While Grayson cast his divine spell, the other three prepared to depart. Zorman had his unseen servant collect what remained of the charred snake corpses. Qadira reported that the cheetah was discontent with the offering, however all of the jub jubs delighted in the cooked reptile bodies.

          The three lads had every confidence in Qadira’s navigational abilities. Even so, the ranger lady seemed less certain of the way to Dak Oasis, or perhaps merely less interested with no life threatening dangers laying in that direction. Whatever the case, the two humans, two half-elves, one tinyphant, one warcamel, one warjub, two riding jobs, two oxen , and a cheetah in a cart, rolled into the oasis called Dak shortly past sundown.

          Dak was not nearly as bustling as Bes Faiz had been, however the other caravans and travelers were convivial enough. Although, it was too late for any bargaining, as everyone else was starting to bed down. Zorman was only disappointed in so much as he had hoped to sell off the smelly oxen and cart, in order to move faster and arrive in Esna sooner. On the other hand, Zorman had still not gotten Grayson to let him see the relic he was carrying, so perhaps a little more travel time would weaken the priest’s resolve.

          More so than in the barren wastes, the party felt that watches were called for. Random desert monsters may have been drawn to the traveler’s strips of hyenaid meat and burnt snake, however unscrupulous strangers were certain to seize any opportunity to spirit away the bags of hyenaid gold or the jewel encrusted vestments. That said Grayson Enderson still refused to stand a simple two-hour watch. So, everyone else had to guard for two and a half hours each.

          As Zorman stood first watch (alone, so tiny Troubadour could hold one as well), he mused to himself, “Qadira and Goreth didn’t really make any comments about harming Grayson in his sleep. Goreth gets those unsettling quiet spells, so he may just be plotting more seriously. But, is Qadira just more tired than she seemed? Or, did Grayson’s blatant attempts at charm actually win him some favor?... Nah, Qadira seems most suited to the lonely desert, all these other travelers are probably just making her more introverted than usual… Ooh, what's that?”

          Zorman’s party had barely started breathing the heavy breaths of sleep, when he spied a light flickering, off in the trackless desert. Worried, as a good look out should be, Zorman sought the aid of Grayson’s Spyglass. Zorman almost even considered the kindness of carefully sorting through the cleric’s pack. Instead, the desert fire may be an urgent threat, so Zorman unceremoniously dumped the pack and snatched up the telescope. Grayson’s habit of getting his “beauty” rest, in spite of all others, served him well, in that he slept through the friendly and un-stealthy burglary.

          Zorman had little practice with adjusting the focus of the spyglass, so the best he could make out was two large tongues of flame moving steadily towards the oasis. Luckily, the fire’s pace seemed measured, so Zorman calculated that he could rouse his party first, then once ready raise the general alert for the other oasis transients. So, tossing the collapsed spyglass onto its owner’s face, Zorman nudged Troubadour awake. Then the sorcerer more politely woke Qadira, while his familiar tugged Goreth awake, by the ankle.

In short enough order, even the rest of the oasis was up and readying for the unknown. The smaller groups merely packed and headed on to Esna. The hired guards of the larger caravans prepared for a potential fight and speculated about devils and demons. However, none of the other oasis visitors shared the raw curiosity of Zorman’s group.

Grayson was able to more deftly focus the spyglass to identify that there were to humanoids, with flaming hair, coming and they weren’t particularly large. The oasis remained ready, yet lost some of its tension, as the two fiery travelers bore no signs of malice or intent to fight. Grayson hid in the greenery. Zorman, concerned that the flame-people might inadvertently torch the oasis, encouraged Goreth to go out and parlay. Zorman, accepted Goreth’s charge to come along, however since the human had the magic bracers, the sorcerer stayed behind his fellow.

Feldspar (male) and Olivine (female) turned out to be tourists from another plane (probably the plane of fire). The duo refuted to the mortal world as the Plane of Iron, found it perpetually dark, and disturbingly moist. The couple also seemed to think of all mortals as domesticated animals. Even so, the fiery pair were pleasant enough and their broken-common was under stable. Since Goreth and Zorman were addressing the issue, all of the other oasis goers returned to their slumbers. While, Grayson (unable to stand being left out of a conversation) scuttled from his hiding and joined the speakers.

The tourists enjoyed sharing simple anecdotes and collecting souvenirs. Specifically, Feldspar had Grayson place a hand in the sand for it to be fused solid. Perhaps Grayson’s mistress had yet to teach the aristocrat how glass was made, but Zorman saw right away that the watch-shirking priest was about to get vary burned. The sorcerer also concluded that Wise Thoth would allow Grayson healing magic, after the lesson in practical vitrification. Grayson pulled his hand away, before loosing much skin, though Feldspar was disappointed at the blurred print that was left. To make up for it, Zorman and Goreth swapped the bracers of fire protection to provide unmarred hand prints, without suffering any damage.

In turn, Zorman wanted to show off, so froze some water with his ray of frost. Grayson got all sniffy because the process ruined his water skin, which is the least he deserved for taunting the hydrophobic aliens and making snide comments about troubadour. Even so, Zorman gave the cleric one of his four water skins as reparations.

When Zorman indicated the late hour, concerned about replenishing his magical energies, all camped for the night. Feldspar made him and Olivine a sort of earthen-yurt by digging a hole and using the sand to form blocks and sheet

 

The day: hot and dry with a profitable departure and an unwelcoming welcome

Feldspar and Olivine had no interest in traveling closer to the Nile or any other large bodies of water, so they bid farewell to the party. Before going however, the fire-people expressed great interest in Goreth’s bracers, specifically the ruby studs. Ultimately, Goreth kept the magical armament and had no other items of interest to the travelers for trade. However, Grayson received a literally hand-blown glass bird sculpture—Feldspar seemed to be placating the wounded human, as one might a toddler. The fragile sculpture was probably supposed to be a jub jub, but could as easily be interpreted as an ibis, so well suited to the young follower of Thoth. Zorman traded his seed-pearl and agate-chip broach for a masterwork set of brass merchant’s scales, though he had hoped for something of greater proof that it came from another plane.

As Feldspar displayed the (to him) commonplace items, with which he was willing to part, Qadira’s interest was piqued. What Feldspar referred to as a nightshirt, was more accurately a fine-mesh high-tempered masterwork chain shirt. Qadira negotiated to upgrade from her studded leather and wound up parting with a bejeweled headband. Zorman was surprised to recognize the headpiece as a symbol of inclusion to the Court of Partus. Either Qadira was more noble than she let on, far more noble than Grayson Enders, or she had looted such a noble… Possibly, Qadira looted someone who had looted a Portuzonian noble, but that made for a dull tale in Zorman’s head. If Qadira ever seemed relaxed enough, the sorcerer made a mental note to ask her about her past.

While Qadira insisted that she could guide the party to Esna, they foursome still followed the large caravan that had also headed out in that direction. The journey was slow and simple with some conversation between the two groups. The merchants transported wine, but were disinterested in Zorman’s offers to chill their products, or any real discussion of the wine in general. One of the caravan guards, Ahad Hadim, spent most of the trip listening to Zorman’s tales of his past adventures.

Ahad was amiable and complimentary. So, when Esna was reached and Ahad offered to by a round of drinks and continue talking, the group was inclined to accept the offer. Except for Goreth, who suspected that Ahad was concealing some roguish motivations. Unfortunately, Goreth was unwilling or unable to politely talk the group out of Ahad’s seemingly convivial offer, so they all went to The Vine.

The Vine tavern was more in the rough part of Esna than the entertainment district, as Ahad had implied. While rough and sketchy, the tavern wasn’t quite seedy. Ahad was clearly a regular and friendly with the staff. By then Zorman had clued into Goreth’s uncertainty and fretted that they were about to be drugged or beaten and sold as slaves. “Luckily” Zorman guessed wrong, the real unpleasantness turned out to be a shake-down.

A shake down which Grayson’s lack of concern and aristocratic misunderstanding of how working folk did extortion, got him backed into a corner of ordering another round. Ahad and his friends then made it clear that a round, of mediocre beer, would cost Grayson fifty lions and there was no canceling the order. Nor could Grayson weasel his way out of the deal, by trying to get the extortionists to seek payment via the Enders estate.

As Qadira and Zorman prepared to fight their way out of the Vine, Goreth stepped in and paid Grayson’s tab. Outside, while Goreth explained that Grayson owed him the fifty lions, Zorman expressed his surprise, “You didn’t even try to talk them down? I mean, when we first met, way back in Smyrna, you were the one that taught me about everything being open to bartering. For a while, I even thought that ‘bar’ was short for bartering, because f you.”

Grayson snorted at the half-elf and refused Goreth, “I don’t owe anything. I wanted to kick their asses as payment for that treatment. Still do. I say we go back and kill them all. Let the gods sort ‘em out.”

“Look,” Goreth shook his head sadly, “these guys are bad guys and they are connected to worse. Killing them, or not paying their full toll, would only bring the worse down on us. No place on the plane of iron would be safe. I know my father would rather sacrifice me, than go to war over fifty pieces of gold, owed to them. And, I’m betting that, your mistress feels the same about you owing my family the money. So, pay up and stop whining.”

Grayson grudgingly did the former, but nothing could make him do the latter. Which was mitigated by the fact that the cleric, as the most familiar member of the party with Luxor and its little brother across the Nile, knew of a suitably safe and respectable inn, on the riverbank. Of course, that also meant expensive. Considering the Hyenaid coins, Zorman felt far more wealthy than he had in a long time, so happily paid the twenty hawks for a clean room, jub jub stabling, and a few meals. The other three followed suit, then all four went to the nearest bath houses.

Once clean, and around a platter of well cooked food, Zorman broke out and shared the elfin wine, which he had purchased from the orbipede gnomes. The sorcerer especially toasted having survived the desert and the Vine. Then, the group planned for the morrow, including chatting with innkeeper and patrons about businesses in Esna and Luxor.

 

The day: started hot, profitable, and maybe dry

Per the previous night’s plan, Goreth found a buyer for the cumbersome wagon and the two oxen.

          “Had to throw in the manacles.” Goreth explained, as he counted out lions to his fellows, “But, that meant I got him up to about fifty-percent better than wholesale.”

          That done, the party got their four quite laden mounts onto a barge and pushed off for Luxor. Promises of better prices in the capital city, fueling willingness to continue transporting the oversized weapons and armors of the hyenaids. Possibly also for selling the cheetah, though Qadira was unclear about just how attached she was becoming to the cat. So, Zorman, at least, was not going to be surprised if it wound up trained and tagging along indefinitely. Assuming Qadira stayed with the three males, Fate had placed her with.

          Zorman’s musing were interrupted by shouting from Esna’s shore. “Them! There they are! It’s them, they have it! Get them!”

          A white robed cleric, in feathered headdress, pointed frantically at the party’s barge. With the mount, there had been no room for other passengers.

          “Um,” Zorman asked his companions, “did one of you piss off a priest of Sobek, or take something from one of the Crocodile God’s temples?”

          Dark shapes could be seen, in the river, converging on the barge. Grayson’s head snapped around, as he heard something in Qadira’s saddlebags. The Sobek cleric continued shouting. A small terrified boy huddled in the saddle bag, weeping and pleading to not be given back to the fierce priest….

 

Will the day get wet? bloody? Both? Or Worse?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [Map of Esna](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Esne-Map-622026023)


	5. holy item, holy item, whose got the holy item SPELLCHECK AND PSOT

The day: continued

The shouts of the sobek priests swiftly fell away as the party’s ferry was polled out into the Nile. However, the four divinely manipulated and massive crocodiles sped forward—ominous shadows, just below the water’s surface.

          Grayson’s proposal to acquiesce to Sobek’s minions, was swiftly shut down and the party prepared for battle, to the ferryman’s chagrin.

Sobek’s influence clearly hindered all attempts at striking the crocs with missile weapons. Then the terrifying beasts were leaping to the barge, biting , and disappearing again into the water. Clearly Sobek approved of Grayson’s willingness to capitulate, for he suffered no damage, while all three of his allies were thoroughly mauled. In spite of Zorman’s valiant efforts to have his unseen servant use a shield to block the attacks of all the vicious animals. However, thanks to the glory of Thoth, Grayson was allowed to summon more icy otherworldly creatures, as well as heal his allies.

Deft Qadira slew one of the crocodiles, with her formidable falchion. Thoth’s gift of two elemental octopuses strangled, bit, and froze the other three. In a meager effort to mitigate the backlash, Zorman advocated not collecting any of the carcasses for hides, preferring to leave Sobek’s dead children to Sobek.

          Danger averted, attention was refocused on the stowaway gnome child. Identifying himself as 10 year old Mitra, the toddler was unable to provide much information about the Sobekan motivations. Mitra, at least, was able to provide his parents and uncle’s full names and enough clues about his neighborhood, to give the Party a place in Luxor to start looking for the family. Although, Mitra sketchy recounting of his kidnapping suggested that his mother may have also been captured, or worse.

          Goreth made certain to give the ferryman 20 lions for his inconvenience and as an incentive to forget what he heard of Mitra’s tale. Then, in gnometown, Goreth felt it was better to slowly chit-chat with the politely stand-offish locals, rather than following Zorman’s suggestion of simply calling out Mitra’s Parent’s names. At midday, Lady Gari took the child.

          A powerful illusionist, Gari befuddled the party and had Mitra, before anyone knew what was happening. Gari appeared to be a community elder or police-person of sorts and was most interested in Mitra’s well-being. When the four adventures honestly expressed the same interest, Gari allowed then, to follower her to Mitra’s uncle’s house.

          Wise Gari also quickly discerned that Mitra had done something to garner the attention of the Sobekans. Specifically, Mitra had gathered up a teeny baby crocodile with a gold collar.

          “Her names Aisha.” Mitra insisted. “And she said we had to get away from the crocodile men.”

          Zorman wondered if the child was actually hearing the voice of a crocodile or maybe even a god. However, not knowing the gnomish feelings on such things, especially the Sobek sect, he opted for the etiquette of silence.

          Mitra’s aunt and uncle turned out to be Great-ant and Uncle and were now also concerned about their niece, Mitra’s mother. It became evident that Mitra’s capture and escape, may have only been an escape, and that all just within the last day or less. Mitra and his mother had been expected for a visit, as they actually lived in Esna.

Mitra’s Aunt took the adventurers aside and earnest explained. ”We are humble crafters. We do not have much. More importantly, we have no skills with such things as you adventurer’s do.” Indicating a brand new shiny sun-wagon. “This is what we make. If you can bring us our niece or at least her body and the name of her killer, should her fate be so dire, then we would reward you with such a cart and a scarab to push it?”

Discussing the offer amongst themselves, Grayson once more voiced the loudest descent. “It’s not the priest, they’re clearly idiot brutes. I just don’t want to call the wrath a an even more brutal God on us.”

“As Mitra’s great-aunt pointed out,” Goreth countered, “we already pissed Sobek off by killing his crocodile servants. Three of which slain by your summoned creatures. As you have been so willing to brag about, all day.”

“Plus,” Qadira added, “the priest could have ordered the crocs to force the ferry back to their shore. Instead they ordered an attack.” The half-elf ranger was still incensed at the personal affront of such an act.

“Yeah,” Zorman offered his position, “there’s a chance that Sobek didn’t notice Grayson killing his minions and I’m not keen on poking the God further. But, the family deserves to know what happened to Mitra’s mom and they are willing to pay.”

“But, sun-wagons are soooo slow!” Grayson moaned.

“Sure, but they’re cool.” Zorman countered. “Plus, we can sell it, if we don’t want to keep it.”

Grayson folded to peer pressure. The quest was accepted with the caveat that the adventurers would have to work at their own pace, meaning start the following day (because the spell casters were out of power since the river battle). The gnomes also offered hospitality, which the party accepted as graciously as possible. After a crazy spicy meal, the party left their excess gear in the gnomes “garage” and went to complete Grayson's original mission.

Though, on the way out, Zorman had a hinch and Cast detect magic on Aisha. The tiny crocodile was registered as normal, yet her necklade contained significant transmutation magic. Unfortunately, Zorman had no chance to mention the magic tem to Gari and other events pushed the information to th eback of his head, until he once more saw the necklace the following day.

At the illustrious library-temple of All Seeing Thoth, Goreth departed. The secretive fellow would only say that he had to check in with the branch of his family in Luxor. Qadira and Zorman availed themselves of the expansive public areas of the library. Zorman was especially please, partially because the temple was just really awesome, more so because he had convinced Grayson to garner him access to the famed rare books room, in exchange for a meager 50 lions.

Grayson had gone off to deliver the precious relic to his mistress Zarina. Another reason for Zorman’s happiness, since he had avoided being in the presence of the priestess, whom he remembered as terrifying three years earlier and Grayson’s tales of apprenticeship had only reinforced. It was only a short time after his departure that Grayson returned, with a stricken and fearful expression.

First Grayson approached Qadira to explain that his relic had been stolen and ask if she by whom or when. Qadira refused to outright accuse Zorman or Goreth, yet was sympathetic to Grayson’s plight, enough to hint, “Well, Goreth seems like the sort of guy that could probably retrieve the item, even if he wasn’t the one who took it.”

When Zorman was brought into the discussion, his reply was, “That sounds terrible. If you’d let me read it, then I could have at least passed on the information within.”

“Not helping!” Grayson remained frantic.

“But true.” Zorman grinned. “Regardless, I don’t know where your bauble is. Did you get my pass, for the rare books room?”

“Uh, noooo.” Grayson moped, “my mistress wasn’t really in the mood to ask for favors.”

“Okay, sure.” Zorman countered, “And no offense to your illustrious mistress, but I doubt that she’s the only cleric here that can provide that permission.”

Flustered and pre-occupied Grayson trouped Zorman over to a senior archivist. The archivist then promptly reminded Grayson, “You’ve earned your full vestments, lad. You can permit a petition access to the rare books as well as anyone.” To Grayson embarrassed silence and Zorman’s innocuous smile the man added. “However, we do want to take the proper precautions.”

So, after Zorman was outfitted in a ludicrously cumbersome neophytes special parchment handling gear, he was left for many long and enlightening hours in the rare book area. There were also actual neophytes ,, as well as senior researchers in the room, affording the young sorcerer the opportunity to carefully start making contacts.

When Grayson finally came to retrieve Zorman, Goreth had also returned.

Grayson’s pleading was so pathetic that Goreth could not even bear to hold the purloined box for ransomed. Gray sped off to deliver the relics to his mistress and came back shortly far more relieved. Meanwhile, Goreth explained, “My, uh, associates, in town, refused to even touch the thing, let alone consider buying it.”

When Grayson did return, he wheedled for answers, “Why? Why take the only thing that you knew I cared about?”

“Answers in the question, there.” Qadira smirked.

Goreth suggested, “Perhaps if you paid better attention to us and your property, you wouldn’t have lost it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Grayson asked.

“Well, for example,” Zorman pointed out, “maybe if you had ever taken a watch, then it wouldn’t have been so easy to rummage around in your stuff. Like I did the other night to get the spyglass.”

Even while the teasing took place, Zorman also paid Grayson for access to the rare books, as promised. Although, the sorcerer did take the chance to offload his cumbersome fifty hawks as part of the 50 lion payment.

Temporarily humbled, Grayson paid for all four party member to stay a night at the Silken veil. Although, this in part was also due the cleric aristocrat’s insistence on staying at the most expensive accommodations and his reticence to be too far separated from his fellows. The humility was short lived, though, to the extent that the Silken Veil was operated by a remarkably attractive half-elf lady named Pashmi. Grayson reverted to his usual lascivious self, coming on to Pashmi and, worse still, lewdly trying to get Zorman to make similar moves.

The evening and early morning were spent mostly relaxing. Except for Goreth, who had been charged with selling off the various items that the group had lugged through the desert. Especially the Vestments of Apep, which required less savory buyers.

          In preparation for infiltrating the Sobek, temple in search of Mitra’s mother, Goreth had also secured a courtier’s outfit and appropriate jewelry. The other three already had such garments, though Grayson and Qadira had to dress down a bit to be on par with the sorcerer and wheeler-dealer. As a finishing touch, to obscure themselves from being recognized, Goreth offered to apply everyone's make-up. While Zorman left Troubadour with the rest of the parties mounts and gear at Mitra’s relative's home..

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	6. Liberation Excersizes

The day: muggy, boggy, and deceptive.

Anxious and eager, Zorman paid for the party’s ferry passage across the Nile and back to Esna. With many thanks to Thoth and whoever Goreth and Qadira prayed to, the journey was sedate. Even the group’s discussion of tactics was agreeable.

          Ultimately, since Sobek’s priest sought legitimacy in the two cities, they adopted the common white robes and shaved heads of the more acceptable religions. So, the adventurer’s assumed that it would be fairly easy to have Grayson bluff their way into the temple, under the pretext of needing to collect the gnome Jivin Kalilasa-Valtteri (Mitra’s mom), for sacrifice at the fancier Sobek temple on the Luxor side of the river.

Humanoid bureaucracy held true. It was not a time of worship for the Sobekans, so the temple was closed and effectively empty. The only so-called guards, a pair of painfully young acolytes with spears, blocking the main entrance.

The nervous youths reacted to the party’s request for admittance with predictable nervousness and clearly rote responses about “The temple is closed”, “the Great Crocodile rests, ‘til our next observances”, and such like. However, with insistent tag-teaming of Grayson’s (apparently a superior Sobek cleric) firmly polite insistence and Zorman’s (an implied inquisitorial henchmen) verbal intimidation, the guard-lads eventually buckled. Qadira and Goreth, standing ominously by, certainly helped sell Zorman’s threats. Sadly, they implied that Jivin Kalilasa-Valtteri had been taken elsewhere, but had no further details. So, in hopes of finding someone more knowledgeable, the party insisted on admittance to the temple.

The disreputable Sobekas’ had scored riverside property by being willing to build on exceptionally weak soil. So, the moss covered structure’s first floor had sunken more than half way into the mud. Once down the stairs and through the door, the apse and nave looked much like most temples. Except, of course, the hieroglyphs and tapestries were tales of Sobek’s greatness and there was a nearly ten-foot wide pool in the floor, before the alter.

The two guards lingered just inside the apse, while the party swiftly spread out and started searching the place, as unobtrusively as possible. Some of the tapestries concealed doors. In particular, behind the alter were two locked iron-bar cell doors, one empty the other with a prisoner.

“Um,” the human lady addressed the party, “hey guys, so glad to see you. Um, like I get that Sobek is great and all, and I totally understand that I made a mistake. So, yeah, maybe there’s a way that I could make it up to the temple, that involved letting me go…”

“Whoa,” Zorman shushed the woman, “first what’s your name.”

“Oh, uh okay, sure.” The shackled lady swallowed hopefully. “I’m Thana bin’Zahra.”

“Great, Thana, good to know.” Exasperated Grayson whispered. “Do you know where the gnome is?”

“Jivin.” Goreth supplied.

“Yeah, her, the gnome.” Grayson doubled-down on his willful ignorance.

“Um, I don’t want to lie.” Thana said. “I know something about a gnome woman the Sobek clerics were talking about. It’s not a lot, but if you let me out, I’ll tell you what I do know.”

After Goreth unlocked her cell and manacles, Thana also asked him to open a smaller cage in the cell’s corner. Within was a coppery colored pseudo-dragon who Thana identified as her familiar Najwa. The pair were delighted to be reunited and liberated, to the point that Najwa’s common-speech was barely understandable and she refused to unclamp from Thana’s head.

“Ooh, Najwa is awesome.” Zorman said with earnest admiration. “So, um , do you have any spells that you can currently cast?”

Just as Thana was admitting that she had no magic available, a huge creature splashed out of the pool, before the alter. The two guards yelped, sped from the temple, and slammed the main entrance shut, amidst proclamations of “Sobek chooses! Sobek returns! Sobek Chooses!”

 “Chooses what?!” Grayson called out.

“You!” Came the muffled reply, through thick wooden doors. “One of you, all of you! It’s not our place to question Sobek!”

The crocodile which had somehow squeezed through the pool was easily sixteen-feet long and had a hungriness to its gate.

Zorman, having cast several spells before exiting the ferry, had his unseen servant pull down one of the large tapestries. Then, the cloth was draped over the ginormous lizard’s head, while the group quickly formulated a plan. Luckily, the crocodile had not built up any momentum and attempting to dislodge the tapestry did occupy its simple brain, for a few moments.

Amidst futile shouts to the guards for freedom, other resources were quickly assessed. Slaying the beast was quickly tabled as a last resort. “Raiding an abandoned temple in the desert was one thing.” Zorman pointed out. “But this is the God’s chosen visage, in his regularly attended house.”

“Yeah,” Goreth agreed, “Sobek will notice and we will be marked, if we’re not already.”

“Swim for it, while the animals distracted!” Qadira had her fervency that always seemed to appear with danger. “That little pool must lead to the river.”

“And a bunch of that things only slightly smaller brothers and sisters!” Zorman tried to hold down his own panic at the thoughts of yesterdays croc-attack, when they all had the leisure of having been on a barge.

“How about this,” Goreth suggested, “I noticed earlier that those two doors lead to the same room. Probably a dining hall or conference chamber, because of the big table and all the chairs.”

“We’re not going to negotiate with that!” Grayson pointed at the massive swaying and tapestry-dislodging head.

“No, of course not.” Goreth patted the air. “My idea is, we open both doors. Then, lure the monster in, while we run out the other. Time it right and we close both doors with it on that side. Then we can force our way past those doofs at the main door, or shimmy out one of those high windows.”

The plan essentially worked as stated. Qadira had helped Goreth lure the croc. Qadira also used her might to position the large table so that it mostly blocked the exit door, giving her and Goreth the extra time that they needed to close that door. Zorman’s unseen servant closed the first door behind the huge animal. Unfortunately, “Sobek’s” teeth did rake a nasty set of gouges along one of Goreth’s legs. Not bad enough to slow the adrenalin filled human, very much, though.

At the main entrance, Zorman and Grayson resumed their roles as guard-whisperers. Grayson prompted, “Sobek has chosen and is sedate. Now let us out.”

“Which one did Sobek take?” came one neophytes voice.

Thinking about Goreth’s recent scream of pain, Zorman offered, “ The big nosed human.”

“Ha, I knew it!” came the second guard’s voice. Then, quieter, “You owe me a hawk.”

Meanwhile, the crocodile was starting to batter its way through the sturdy table and relatively flimsy side door. Still, the guards were duped and opened the door enough to allow the party and their liberated prisoner to bulrush past.

“Hey, you lied?!” the guards seemed honestly surprised, as they re-slammed their doors against the now onrushing and enraged Holy manifestation of their God.

“Hardly important now.” Zorman adopted a bit of Grayson’s everyday smugness. “More importantly, unless you want Sobek to choose you, then you need to tell us where the gnome woman is.”

“Hey,” the second guard had a momentary rise of backbone, “We’re kind of too busy here for that stuff, right now!”

“Okay, fine.” Zorman raised both hands, while stepping backwards. “We could help you brace that door, but you’d rather not tell us what we want to know…”

“Okayokayokay!” Both guards yelped and then stammered over information which amounted to the Hospital of Imhotep was holding the gnome woman.

“Thanks.” Zorman said, as he and most of the rest started to speed away from the bulging doors. “In spite of being clerics, it looks like neither of you were wise enough to not be chosen.””

However, wounded Goreth took pity on the neophytes and lingered long enough to find the entry’s bar. After sliding the bar into place, the human limp-ran up to the rest of the group. Where, with the typical overblown fanfare, Thoth granted Grayson the ability to heal Goreth.

“So, Thana,” Zorman addressed the escapee, as she was keeping pace with the party, “do you know anything more about Jivin, than they told us?”

“Not much.” Thana shook her head and a yip came from the pseudo-dragon still perched there. “The higher ranking clerics seemed to think that she could get them some necklace, that they really really want. But she got run over by a cart or something and the Imhotepers got to her before the Sobekans could.”

“There may be more danger before s.” Qadira told the more mature sorceress. “You may not be any safer than when we let you out of the cage, if you stay with us.”

Thana explained, “I’m not exactly at my best and you’ve all been kind, so far. So, I’d rather not wander through Esna alone, just now.”

“Thana not ‘lone! Najwa her! Najwa hat.” The winged familiar asserted from under her mistress’s hood.

While the down on her luck sorceress placated her tiny ally, Grayson asked about Imhotep. It took some time to explain to Grayson about Imhotep’s Hospital. It was hard for the aristocratic cleric to comprehend that many common folk could not afford the required tithing necessary for the miraculous healing of the gods. So, when sick or injured, most farmers, laborers, and the like would seek aid were they could. Even if that involved churgeons such as those who followed the teachings of Imhotep.

The hospital doors were unguarded and unlocked. Stepping through was like entering a battlefield’s aftermath. Bloodied, bandaged, wheezing, and coughing humans lay on mats, in rows up and down the dimly lit hall. A handful of initiates in long black coats, bustled in ones and twos from one moaning patient to the next.

It was readily clear that no gnomes were present. Most of the party was dumbstruck, some with fascination, others (like Grayson) with disgust. Zorman was first to recover and intercepted an initiate on her way from one “patient” to the next.

“Excuse me,” the still well dressed sorcerer asked, “we’re looking for a gnome woman, she is said to have arrived here within the last two days, after being overrun by a cart?”

“Ah, the Strangers Ward is through that door.” The emotionless woman pointed with the wax writing-tablet that she carried.

The Stranger Wards was much as the first hall, only smaller and all of the sick and dying were non-human. The initiates present all seemed more curious and thoughtful as well, compared to the fatigued intensity of the first ward. Zorman’s group followed him, as he repeated his questioning of another black-coat, an then on to the floor matt where a severely bruised and splinted gnome lady lay unconscious.

The Initiate left the party, as Grayson’s apoplectic outrage started to quietly sputter free. Goreth and Qadira redirected the cleric’s frustration, before it could grow loud enough to draw attention. Smooth-talking Goreth especially pointed out that, ‘Look, why don’t you just ask Thoth to fix her. That’ll show these people what real healing is. Plus, we’ll be able to verify that she’s Mitra’s mom and get her home.”

“Who’s Mitra?” Grayson blinked.

The other three party members sighed and Qadira answered, “The gnome child that started this chain of events.”

Once healed the gnome easily confirmed that she was Jivin, though, she did mistakenly believe the hospital had healed her. Unfortunately, while disavowing Jivin of that misconception and praising Thoth, the group regained the attention of one of the more haughty initiates, who came over incensed, “What?! You did what? When will you people learn to stop leaning on the crutch of miracles? How can people be expected to advance, if we just keep letting gods do all the hard things? I mean really.” She pointed to Jivin. “She was going to provide invaluable data. She probably wouldn’t have even woke up for a month.”

Only interested in getting away from the inferior human, Grayson deflected, “No, no, you misunderstand. She woke up on her own. We were just wondering why she had the bandages, when she seemed so miraculously healed.”

“The salve worked?!” the initiate’s eyes went wide with pride. Then she wandered off, “Wait ‘til Khabar hears. This is wonderful. We’ll need to start mass production…”

The ever expanding party then made their way, as quickly and unobtrusively as possible, back to the docks. Zorman gladly paid for another ferry ride and the group was back at Jivin’s uncle’s in no time. Along the way, Thana mentioned that she too was staying at the Silken Vale. So, she asked to stay with her protectors of opportunity, until all returned there.

The gnome family reunion was jubilant. The Illusionist Gari was also there. After a celebratory meal, in which Goreth, Grayson, and Zorman sort of tandem told the tale of what had happened, the party collected their promised reward.

The sun-wagon was exceptionally bright, brand new and freshly polished. The glossy-black giant scarab was named “Scuttles”.

While his fellows loaded their gear onto the sun-wagon and readied their mounts, Zorman took Gari aside. The half-elf had recalled his magic detection of the day before and added that to what Thana had said of the Sobekan’s interests. Furthermore, Zorman  identified the illusionist as a sort of community elder. So, the sorcerer explained, “I detected that Aisha’s collar had transmutation magic about it.”

Gari nodded, proving that she was at least caring enough to recall the name of a child’s new found pet.

“And Thana said the Sobekans were all hot and bothered about a necklace. I’m guessing the collar is that necklace.” Zorman hesitated. “But, I have no idea what sort of transmutation is taking place. Aisha could be a punished acolyte or an imprisoned dragon or anything, really. But, whatever the case, the Sobekans want it and they’re probably going to figure out how to track it down”

After a moment’s thought Gari said, “Perhaps it is best that you take it then, yes? As before, you still already have their ire… and it is a potent magic. So, surely you and yours can benefit from such a thing.”

The illusionist then spoke with young Mitra and came away with the tiny crocodile. Gari then cast a pattern of many colored lights before Aisha, which kept the reptile transfixed. As soon as the collar came free, Aisha went from cat sized to pony sized. While Mitra gleefully called for a saddle, Gari more soberly muttered about having to return it to the river.

The transformation also drew everyone else’s attention. But, Zorman delayed explanations until their party was on the road back to the Silken Vale—very much not wanting to get bribed into returning Aisha to the Nile.

Zorman’s close inspection of the collar revealed a command word and the likelihood that it would only work on animals. Placing the necklace on himself, Zorman confirmed that humanoids, at least, were unaffected.

At the inn, Zorman encouraged Thana to join their party (after everyone had bathed and redressed) for a less family oriented celebration. Secretly, Zorman was especially pleased the sorceress accepted, as he really wanted to talk to her about her familiar and other sorceress musing. Even more fascinating, Thana eventually revealed that she actually studied magics under the tutelage of a real and full dragon. Though, that mentor was secretive, so no further details were forthcoming.

On the other hand, Thana remained grateful for her liberation, enough to reward the party monetarily. “I had been expected to use these in trade, but such is life.” She said while handing out four polished periods and four gold necklaces. Each neck piece was crafted to look like two dragon claws holding a malachite. When socially expected polite noises of decline were effected, Thana waved them away, “I pay my debts.”

 

The following few days: hot, bustling, and repetitive

Grayson, through his connections at the temple of knowledge, found perspective buyers of Aisha’s collar, while also resuming his clerical studies. Qadira and Goreth kept in touch, however both were also largely consumed with furthering their studies or practice, or whatever a desert guide and locksmith did. Zorman split his time between Thoth’s temple and the Souk, trying to be personable and carefully asking questions.

          Zorman’s attention was split between seeking a magic item to detect and/or read magic and finding a new teacher. The sorcerer could cast the spells, but knew their need was rare and he had heard that with the right training he might learn some other spells in their place. Since Umlaut Opalescentbeard had been such a nightmare, Zorman had eschewed mentors. However, that had been costly. Plus, the half-elf now saw that with a little care he might select a more considerate instructor. Zorman was even so jealous of his allies learning while he shopped, that he asked for there assistance in locating a mentor.

          Then Grayson found a buyer for the Sobek artifact and the four adventures split a remarkable payday. Zorman’s share was nearly three-thousand lions, which opened whole new realms of possibly for purchasing the magic that he sought—if he could find it.

          Plus, it finally occurred to the often distractible sorcerer that he could ask Thana to be his mentor. Except that right around then Grayson also introduced Zorman to a goat-headed humanoid, studying in the temple-library, named The Arrow. The Arrow knew sorcery, but was especially intent on traveling to the other planes of existence. Zorman found the goat-man fascinating and was sorely tempted to learn what he had to teach. However, Thana was simply far less alien and more relatable, so Zorman picked her and she accepted.

 

The following six weeks: hot and studious.

None of the four newly formed friends had much time for each other, or even tracking the passage of time. Though each did have an experience or two that stood out in their minds.

          Qadira found herself and her mysterious master coping with far more scrub and farm fires, than either had ever dealt with in similar seasons past.

          Goreth discovered that a shadowy figure had been asking around about him and the other three. Especially unsettling, as Goreth was more accustomed to being the shadowy investigator, not the shadowed.

          Zorman returned to his room, in the house Thana had purchased, to find that his brazier had been used. The sorcerer’s Holy-symbol pendant was also a locket containing a continual flame, so he never bothered with the brazier of candles or the like. Thana claimed that she had not lit the device and encouraged Zorman to simply remove it from his room.

As usual, Grayson said or did something to irritate his mistress, which garnered him ”book protection” duty. The notable bit was, that while going through the back of the stacks (sweeping out mold spores and resting the mouse traps) Grayson found no dead mice. Since the critters loved the taste of the inks and parchments, most traps usually had  a diminutive carcass. After several days, Grayson finally found a dead mouse, bloated, discolored and nowhere near the traps. Inspection of the body revealed tiny dark punctures, just like what Qadira had pointed out as a snake bite on dead bodies in the desert.

 

The day: hot, crowded, yet refreshing

Thana had finally given Zorman leave to pursue his own interests, for an indeterminate amount of time. While Zorman liked Thana far more than Umlaut or any of his marinade of disinterested makeshift tutors, her methods still seemed fairly relentless. So, even though the apprentice wasn’t sure if Thana simply wanted to pursue personal interests for a while or if she really had taught him as much as she felt he was able to learn, for a while, he still joined his party eagerly. The other three had received similar leaves from study nearly a week earlier.

          After catching up, over lunch, and recounting their respective odd moments of training, Zorman convinced the group to follow him to the Souk and a few other shops. “I’m still hoping to find the magic item I was looking for. Before my studies got so demanding, I found a pair of broken daggers, which Thana had repaired for me, and they have a minor magical enhancement. So, I know that what I’m doing is fruitful. I’m just not sure that I’ll find something for detecting magic.”

          “Oh, that reminds me.” Grayson said. “The Identification Loop and Healing belt that I commissioned from Brother Merkesh will be ready soon. You each said you’d cover part of the cost.”

          “Right, right.” Zorman braced himself. “How much?”

          “Well,” Grayson rubbed his chin, “I figure we’ll all get equal benefit from the identifier, but I got a discount on that. And, technically, anyone can use the belt, but I figure I’ll be wearing it most of the time. So, say three hundred lions each for the first and another hundred for the other?”

          Zorman knew a little about the material costs of making magical items, including the intensive spell channeling that takes place. It was why they had been able to charge so much for the Sobek necklace. So, Zorman was the first to nod and promise the gold, as soon as he got back to where it was stored. Qadira and Goreth each came to the same conclusions moments later.

In truth, Zorman was especially pleased to be turning some of the cumbersome coins into anything of value. Although, the half-elf’s preference would be to have something that he could call his own, even if he did wind up sharing it with the others. However, Grayson’s comments also reminded Zorman that, if he did not find what he sought, the priest of Thoth were the most knowledgeable humanoids around and could probably be paid to make what he wanted. Even so, the four of them were out shipping already, so may as well press on for the day.

The Souk, as ever, had all manner of people selling all manner of things, often one item per seller. So, every trip provided new potential, though Zorman had already learned not to look too hard. If someone naïve enough to be selling something of great value did so in the Souk, they were either obvious or gone. Though, the sorcerer’s social charms had at least garnered him enough goodwill to be directed to a few of the more respectable storefronts. With a surplus of lions, at home, Zorman even imagined that he might be able to afford a minor magic item outright.

Just as the party was heading off to Zorman’s best bet for a second-hand magic shop, they were all delayed by a couple of urchins. The young humans had not even grown close to puberty and begged convincingly for food money. Goreth watched , more amused than sympathetic, but passed one of the waifs a copper coin. Zorman was suspicious, but when a different child asked him for money he gave as Goreth had, having long ago decided that his clever human companion knew the best street etiquette. The children did not bother Qadira or Grayson.

As the urchins left, Zorman caught Goreth casually checking his pouches, so the suspicious sorcerer did the same. In term, Grayson saw Zorman’s actions and checked his own pouches. Goreth, Qadira, and Zorman were all satisfied with their personal inventories. However Grayson moaned, “That was over five lions worth of coins! The little shits took  my whole damn purse!”

“Is that all?” Qadira was unconcerned. “I’m surprised you even care about such a some, after what we got for that crocodile collar.”

“It’s the principle, of the thing.” Grayson pouted. “Firstly, that was my walking around food money. Now I have to traipse all the way back to the temple, before I can make any impulse purchases. But more so, I would have given them a lion, if they had just asked me for cash.”

“Yeah, well,” Zorman grinned, “you just said that they made five times that much. So, they made the right financial choice.”

“Besides,” Qadira added, “you’d feel way worse if you had given them the lion and then they swiped your coin purse anyway.”

While Grayson reconciled himself to the loss, Goreth indicated that he would catch up, then headed off into the crowd. Trailing the urchins, the rogue assessed their worthiness, before pausing them to offer advise, encouragement, and a tip to a reliable fence.

Lazlo’s Curiosities was a fairly large shop, yet dimly lit through grimy windows and nothing else. Neither of the two half-elves minded at all, and Grayson was too pre-occupied moping to complain.

The only other person in the shop was the proprietor, a grizzled human male, slumped behind the counter. The elderly man wore a strange number of belts and straps up his torso and arms. When Zorman’s nod of greeting elicited no response from the shopkeeper, the half-elf girded himself for a gruff and abrasive haggling session, with an eccentric elder sorcerer. Assuming that Zorman actually found anything worth buying.

Grayson  and Qadira browsed with minimal interest. Zorman, with troubadour huddling against his legs, quickly located a tray full of various spectacles and lenses. After quite some time of thorough scrutiny, Zorman selected a monocle and a lorgnette which he believed had the quality and craftsmanship of potentially damaged magical devices.

Just as well, since the sorcerer’s friends were getting fidgety and his familiar seemed to want to go outside. Bracing himself again, Zorman approached the clerk and was immediately attacked. The proprietor’s garment of belts sprang to life, lashing out, like so many tentacles.

As the leathery straps wrapped around Zorman’s limbs, he heard the unreal whispering in his mind _SUBMIT_. Luckily, Zorman was able to pull away, even as the enfeebled shop owner crumpled to the ground. Zorman had briefly read a passage, in some far distant nobleman’s collection, of a dragon’s horde where the magic of unused items all clustered together had formed them into a similar sort of spontaneous construct. However, the fascination had to take a back seat to survival.

The ensuing close quarters battle was grueling. The whirling construct was extremely hard to hit. Grayson had yet again beseeched Thoth to manifest two icy wolves, whose exuding cold was painful to anyone near them. A pain hard to avoid inside the shop, especially for the weakened owner. Though, to Grayson’s immense credit, he rushed forward risking the elemental damage, in order to revive and safe the gnarled old man.

Zorman only had a fleeting pang of regret, that the proprietor had not died, effectively bequeathing his wares to those that were there to take them. Instead, the sorcerer’s growth of admiration for his clerical friend, suppressed the greedy impulse. Between his comment about the urchins and saving the clerk, Grayson’s recent training must have instilled some new compassion into him.

So, Zorman felt especially sorry when his attempt to throw a dagger into the enemy went awry and embedded into Grayson’s bicep instead. Luckily, Goreth arrived about then, distracting the construct enough to allow Qadira’ and her mighty falchion to finish the creature. Scraps of leather and buckles clattered to the floor.

Goreth tended to Mr. Lazlo, who mumbled about not knowing the day and that his enslaver had not understood about food. Once the man had been fed and watered, he praised the party for freeing him and gave what reward he could, before they went on their way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	7. Dipping Toes In

The day: hot, busy, and aimless

With payment secured, Grayson was able to collect the identifier—which he had commissioned weeks earlier, during training. Zorman was fascinated with the device, like an especially expensive looking jeweler’s loop, for two reasons. Firstly, rather than working automatically or by simple command word, it required detect magic to be cast and for the caster to have a fairly advanced knowledge of arcana in general. Zorman had never read of any magical items so convoluted. Secondly, while relatively inexpensive, the identifier required no material components for activation.

          Zorman commented, “But how can it get around the need of a large pearl? Everything that I’ve read on identification magic has been explicit that inferior pearls or any other gems will fail.”

          After staring at Zorman with confusion for several moments, Grayson nodded with realization, “Oh, that’s because Thoth loves His chosen. As clerics, we need only focus our prayers through a suitable symbol of faith, in order to cast that spell.”

          As the group was eager to inspect the rewards handed out by Lazlo, the trinket seller, the subject changed. So, it was not until later that Zorman recalled having given Grayson a pearl to identify what became Goreth’s bracers of protection from fire. Chalking the experience up to “lesson learned”, Zorman merely determined to treat matters of money and Grayson with a more jaundiced eye.

          Lazlo had thanked his saviors with three gifts. The first was an exceptionally fine pair of long gloves, slightly out of fashion , and of no magical qualities what so ever. Next a pouch containing several doses of illusion infused dust, for altering the appearances of individuals. Lastly, a slightly tattered statuette made of colorful feathers and shaped like a tree, which could be permanently transformed into a real and full-sized tree. 

          Arriving late to the group’s brunch meeting, Goreth was barely interested in what Grayson had identified of their new “shared” magic. Instead, Goreth spoke with some awe, “Have any of you heard about the dragon, below the Pharaoh’s palace?”

          The smooth talking human then relayed that he had heard of a massive sleeping (possibly captive) dragon, held below the palace. The creature was said to constantly sweat or weep into a magical pool, from which Pharaoh alone was allowed to drink.

          Goreth was extremely excited to find some way to sneak into and through the palace and verify the rumor. Presumably for the sake of verifying such wondrous knowledge, at least that was why Zorman was readily on board. Though, there was some speculation of reward from the dragon for freeing it.

          Zorman offered, “Well, Thana knows at least one dragon. And dragon’s seem to be rare, so there’s a chance that her contact may know of the one under the palace.” He rubbed his chin. “Only, Thana’s pretty secretive about her contact, so I should talk to her alone. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

          Zorman and his familiar, Troubadour, hurried off to his mentor’s residence. In addition to the dragon tale, the sorcerer had asked Thana to magically inspect the two items that he had “procured” from Lazlo’s Emporium. In the bustle of the attack, Zorman had forgotten to mention having pocketed the monocle and lorgnette which he had originally been interested in purchasing.

          “This,” Thana handed back the master worked monocle, after polite greetings, “is mundane and always has been. Pretty though.” She held up the lorgnette. “This, on the other hand, used to be magical. So, good eye, there, I guess”

          “So, what did they do?” Zorman smiled. “And can you repair them? Or get them repaired? I can probably pay for repairs… If they’re not too powerful.”

          Thana agreed to look into it. Then Zorman relayed the Pharaoh Dragon story.

          “Hmmm,” Thana responded thoughtfully, “It’s true that dragons have been known to hibernate or maybe go into a prolonged trance, sometimes for decades… But I doubt that there’s one below the palace. Especially, because what you described sounds like an ice dragon and, honestly, what are the odds, here in the middle of the desert.” She stroked her pseudo-dragon familiar absently. “I might be able to check on that too, though. Just incase. But, really, since Pharaoh commands an army of sphinx, it hardly seems like He’d need a dragon too.”

          “Army of sphinx?” Zorman was stunned that he had never heard such news.

          “Oh, sure.” Thana nodded. “Which is also a good reason not to try sneaking into the Temple-Palace, since the sphinx guard it day and night.”

          “Okay, okay, okay.” Zorman patted the air and trued to collect his thoughts. The sorcerer was not sure if his mistress might be misinformed or just pulling his leg. He also started to wonder how accurate Goreth’s information had been. In the interest of thorough research, Zorman asked, “So, if there’s no dragon, do you think that there’s a magical pool somewhere under Luxor?”

          Thana’s lips tightened and she adamantly stated, “Stay away from such pools. You’re not ready.” Then she definitively dismissed Zorman.

          Zorman relayed what he had learned to his party. Which prompted Qadira to suggest, “Well, Thana’s not the only one with dragon connections. We could ask some of the more scaly jewelers . They’re supposedly related to dragons, right?”

          The jewelers proved largely unhelpful, even in spite of Goreth’s charming demeanor. In fact, Zorman wondered if the theoretically dragon-blood merchants might have been down-right hostile, if not for Goreth’s charm’s. Even so, Thoth God of Knowledge Acquisition, must have smiled on the troupe’s efforts. For in the alley beside one goldsmith’s, Goreth was drawn to a scuffle. Two large and sinister humans were beating a third man and making claims on money’s owed.

Goreth seemed to recognize the two brutes as relatives, from his exceptionally extensive family, and stepped into assist. Although, the much less muscular lad opted to show his cousins how verbal persuasion could be as useful as the more physical sort. Grayson, Qadira, and Zorman only half tracked what seemed to be a family affair. However, Zorman did catch enough of what was said to offer the helpful suggestion, “Well, if not beating the man matters so much, Goreth, then why don’t you pay your cousins—or whatever. Then just collect the money as you see fit.”

          Unfortunately, for the increasingly bored bystanders, Goreth did not care for the idea. Especially, when it was made clear that the deadbeat owed one-thousand lions. On the other hand, it also became clear that the fee had been for access to “The Pool”.

          The four adventurers came away with Goreth explaining that he had set up a meeting with his cousin for later that night, as the thuggish relative seemed to have even more details regarding The Pool. Even so, Grayson and Zorman were pretty restless by then. So much so, that the cleric resorted to dragging his friends back to Thoth’s Library-Temple, so that he might ask his mistress Zaria for a mission.

          Priestess Zaria not only complied, she even presented a task that could be accomplished that same day. Grayson barely even grumbled about it being a simple collection and delivery. It seemed as if the blue-eyed cleric was hoping to make up for his minor snafu with the scroll which he had almost failed to deliver, about seven weeks earlier.

          The rest of the party grew to regret their willingness to join Grayson on the errand, though. As the clergyman had to go to Valuable Vials, alchemists which turned out to be located well within the slaughterhouse district. As the buildings grew dingier and the number of derelict street people increase, the party became more and more nervous. All four travelers prepared fore ambush.

          Eventually the puddles and potholes took on unsettling qualities, as well. This close to the river, puddles were fairly common, but once that glowed or rippled of their own volition, were unique to the area around Valuable Vials. The alchemist’s shop, itself, stood like a squat impenetrable fortress, amongst the dilapidated buildings which passed for homes and taverns, in that part of Luxor.

          Zorman had his unseen servant collect a vial of one particularly colorful and bright puddle, which the sorcerer surmised contained run-off from slow and shrink potions. Otherwise, Zorman and Goreth successfully avoided the dubious road-liquids. Meanwhile, Troubadour plashed himself and wound up visually displaced. Qadira turned blue from head to toe, clothing and all. And Grayson found himself under the effects of a slow spell.

          Determining that none of the effects were imminently dangerous, the party pushed onward. Though, much delight was had with teasing Grayson for being slowed and having dragged them all into the messy situation in the first place.

          The magical effects remained active all the way back to Thoth’s temple and Mistress Zaria. Grayson was unable to speak quickly enough to prevent his allies from hustling their way in to meet his infamous instructor. Zaria’s amusement at Grayson’s slowed state kept her mood pleasant when acknowledging the others. The more experienced woman also confirmed that the randomized potion effects where likely to wear off with the hour.

          So, the party was all back to normal, by the time they arrived at The Garden of Pleasure. It was the tavern from which Goreth’s muscleman cousin operated. It was a dark place, with continuous live music and lots of dancing. While Zorman and Qadira relaxed and danced, Grayson eavesdropped on Goreth’s meeting.

          After a half hour or so, Goreth feathered his party. “The pool isn’t a magic water source.” He spoke as quietly as he could, while still being heard over the six piece band. “It’s a euphemism for a dangerous and illegal no-holds-barred pit fight.”

          Which, for some reason, Goreth was even more eager to see, than a magic dragon fountain. However, he explained entry required a massive thousand lion entry fee, or to go in as workers. “Luckily” Goreth had arranged for an opportunity to go in working for the Lotus Flowers—the all female band of bards currently playing.

“They’re supposed to play the pool, tomorrow night.” Goreth clarified. “Since I learned some barding, I figure I can go as a sort of set up man. The rest of you might have to just carry stuff, if you’re interested in coming along.”

          As it turned out, Qadira was accepted as body guard and Zorman was deemed pretty enough to perform as a stage dancer. Though, the story telling sorcerer was disappointed that he was not allowed to act as warm up, or even employ any of the spells which had served him well in many a tavern tale spinning. Worse, Zorman was sorely jealous, when the band wanted Grayson to summon short lived ice beasts, as his contributions.

 

The Day: hot and restful

Knowing that they would be up well past dark, the party each spent most of their day resting. Although, Grayson did seek out Zaria to collect the payment that he expected for his fetch-it quest of the day before. Zaria either misunderstood what her pupil had wanted or was merely jerking him around. Either way, The magic item Grayson requested was not forthcoming and would take some time to acquire.

          The Pool was a euphemism, yet it was literally held underground. A wondrous and magically light cavern had been partially carved out. Scores of people, some far less humanoid than others, clustered and roamed around a large arena style pit, a stage and various games of chance. The demeanor and dress of the patrons made it clear that they were amongst the most powerful and wealthy citizens of Luxor—probably of the whole Gyptian Empire and beyond.

          Goreth quickly wandered off, enamored with the ambiance and interested in seeing as much as possible. Fidgety Grayson once more attempted to surreptitiously keep tabs on his human ally. Qadira was more inclined to fulfill her musician guarding duties. Meanwhile Zorman saw that his mentor had been right and he was well out of his depths, so he remained as near the Lotus Flowers as possible.

          Goreth discovered terribly frightful beasts, scheduled to fight in the pit. Goreth and Grayson both learned that Velim, master of Valuable Vials, and his magically misshapen apprentice were also there, in capacity as “animal” handlers.

          At the same time, Zorman’s mere presence drew the attention of The Obsidian Magistrate, a Kara from far-off Kara Tur. The Obsidian Magistrate assumed that Zorman was a slave of the Lotus Flowers and inquired after his purchase, via The Pool’s stage manager. Zorman was emphatic about his personal sovereignty. Seeing the managers reticence to insult the visiting dignitary with a direct refusal, Zorman agreed to let the manager claim that he was diseased and thus undesirable.

          And the band had barely set up, let alone started to play.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	8. Gathering

The night: continues, within the Nasir run Underground Pool

Somewhat unsettled, from their experiences in the gambling den thus far, the four companions resolved to just stay near the stage. The Lotus Flowers were scheduled to perform twice, in a line-up of several other acts. So, the adventurers were easily able to mingle with the ‘Flowers and other performers.

          The Lotus Flowers first set went as well as could be expected, considering that the vast majority of patrons were there for gambling, not music. Grayson’s ice hippogryph was the hands-down show stealer. Although, Zorman’s use of dancing lights, unseen servant, and prestidigitation were also enjoyed.

Between sets, a scantily clad male human bard introduced himself as Enzo. Enzo was the MC and shared some of his humorous anecdotes. When Grayson questioned the MC’s skimpy attire, Enzo merely indicated that the ladies seemed to like it. Zorman shared some of his own humorous tales, hoping to possibly solidify a future contact, as much as trying to one up Enzo. The bard did not seem to notice the sorcerer’s jealousy.

          Feeling a bit dejected, Zorman sought a change of scene and made his way into the bleachers of the fighting arena. Goreth and Grayson tagged along. The matches that the trio saw included a human wielding a spiked chain versus a hyenaid, two eight-foot diameter orbipdes against each other, and a couple of spell casters. The pair of mechanical metal spheres were single pilot versions of the three gnome model that the group had encountered in the desert, so Goreth and Zorman were intrigued. Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd thrilled mainly at anything involving physical flesh on flesh combat, especially if blood came of it. So, the human tearing the hyenaid’s head off received the most applause, followed by the sorcereress physically punching her evoker opponent. For Zorman it was elfin sorcereress employing a fly spell to out maneuver gouts of flame which was most exciting. So, Zorman was especially pleased when the elf, named 123, won by swooping behind the flamey human and choking him to unconsciousness.

          Meanwhile, fussy Grayson Enders, for some reason, fixated in horror on the arena’s central run-off grate, for disposing of the blood and other battle leavings. The cleric kept saying things like, “Can you imagine how vile the blood sewer must smell?”

          The lads made it back to the stage in plenty of time for the Lotus Flowers second set, which went even better. Although, the audience was quite a bit more rowdy, after having been riled up by the blood-sport. Zorman even received many coins tossed to his dancing feet. The charismatic half-elf knew that he could have collected even more coin, but that would have required letting patrons manually place the coins in his tight leather trousers. Zorman simply was not confident that he could fend off any grapples that may have occurred.

          Afterwards, the Lotus Flowers confirmed that the adventurers were off duty, until it was time to lug all of the equipment back up to the city. Qadira immediately started drinking and gambling. Zorman’s unseen servant had collected all of his admirer-thrown coins, so he took the unexpected cash and placed it all on the next arena fight. Not caring if he won or lost, the sorcerer paid no attention to the odds.

          There were only to matches left for the night. The first what was billed as an aquatic camel from the distant northern forests versus one of the desert’s most terrible beasts. On a whim, Zorman selected the former to win and the large moose did indeed thoroughly mash the medium-sized dire-hyena.

          The evening’s ultimate battle was billed as two extra-planar monsters, one an insect and the other a serpent. Zorman could not see backing either such creature so collected his winnings. Tipsy Qadira, on the other hand, eagerly bet on the serpent to win. Grayson remained too appalled at the athletics of the events, to bother with gambling, and Goreth seemed to be exhibiting some sort of professional or familial courtesy by not participating.

          The combatants turned out to be a sparking mechanized spider creature from one of the ultra-lawful outer planes, against a horse-sized amethyst dragon. At Goreth’s prompting, Grayson beseeched Thoth to let him detect the intellect of the creatures. Neither man had cared about the moose or dire-hyena when both proved to be dumb animals. While the ruthless and relentless higher-order calculations of the arachnidan were too alien, to identify with. However, Tacticus the dragon was far too beautiful, noble, and naive to ignore.

          Grayson got into a brief argument with Qadira, amounting to, “How could you bet on that pour creature? He’s going to be slaughtered!”

          “What are you talking about?” The inebriated ranger missed Grayson’s point. “That’s a dragon, man! How can it loose? Dragons kick ass!”

          Ultimately, Grayson would leave the arena, too upset to watch the spectacle. The cleric was as surprised, as his friends, to realize how much he empathized with Tacticus. Especially, considering many of his early callous comments regarding his fellows or the gnome boy Mitra, or the like.

          Meanwhile, Goreth and Zorman did what little they could to try and aid the young dragon. Both lads feared the arena organizers more than they wanted to help Tacticus, so their options were extremely limited. Zorman had his unseen servant float sand from the arena floor into any available joints and the eight liquidy-eyes of the mecha-spider. Unfortunately, the outsider was exceptionally perceptive and deft, though, so the sorcerer’s efforts only amounted to micro-second delays. Goreth finally employed some of his recently acquired bardic abilities and cast message, so that he could (somewhat surreptitiously) communicate with Tacticus. Of course, Zorman had to be included in the spell, as Goreth did not speak draconic.

          It became clear that Tacticus should have the ability to magically teleport away. Except, the dragon had been fitted with a black iron collar of stylized anchors, which seemed to prevent the magic. When Tacticus followed Goreth and Zorman’s suggestion that he remove the collar, the arena referee cast magic missiles into the dragon as a successful discouragement. Furthermore, Grayson had indicated that the dragon’s thoughts were muddled, as if under some sort of confusion effect.

Then a towering stone plinth magically glided into the center of the ovoid ring, upon whish rested a masterfully crafted shining gold cape, designed to look like a full ram’s fleece.

          Both enslaved creatures were inexorably drawn to the treasure. Before Grayson left, he explained that the spider-thing’s thoughts were solely for breaking the almost certainly magical fleece down, for conversion into elements of extra-planar army. While Tacticus was simply driven by instinctual draconic avarice.

          The battle went on longer than Zorman had expected. Both the sorcerer and Goreth felt some satisfaction that their magically whispered tactical suggestions helped Tacticus win the day and destroy the spider. Unfortunately, the dragon did still suffer quite grievous wound from the machine-creature’s electrical blasts.

          Qadira only gloated a little at Grayson for her having bet in the winner, before her drunken brain let her process what all three lads had started discussing. The party very much wanted to liberate Tacticus and they discussed many possible plans for doing so, always with a mind to keep themselves safe. Qadira and Goreth strongly favored ideas which involved sneaking through the blood sewers, for some reason. Though, that reason may have been purely to keep upsetting Grayson. There was also a lot of consideration placed into employing the illusion dust, which the group had gotten from Lazlo’s Curiosities. Although, whom to impersonate was a point of contention and what to do beyond that was unclear.

The discussions went on for a long time, right back to rejoining the Lotus Flowers and then up into Luxor. After dropping the Flowers equipment off, the adventurers continued half-planning, on their ways back to the Silken Vale. Only to be caught off guard by a group of magical muggers.

Specifically, four spheres of whirling sand and dust emerged from an alleyway, demanding that the adventurers, “Give us your stones!”, “Your pretty stones!”, “Yes, right. The pretty ones, give us your pretty stones!

          Grayson and Zorman countered with equally ridiculous demands of the assailants, while Goreth attempted to verbally defuse the situation and Qadira readied her Falchion.

          “This is not a polite mugging!” screeched the spokes-dust ball, in response to the various attempts at parlay. Then they attacked.

          Zorman easily sidestepped his swiftly descending sphere, none of his allies were as deft. The only damage amounted to minor abrasions and scrapes. Although, Qadira was also temporarily blinded.

          Thoth let Grayson summon another ice hippogriff and Zorman got off a good crossbow shot and a ray of frost. The creatures countered a little and Goreth stayed trued to form and missed his every attempted strike. In the end, three dead mephits fell to earth and the last one fled into the night. In addition to the group collecting a remarkable number of gemstones, Zorman bottled some of the powder, to which the mephit corpses had turned.

 

The day: hot, nervous and uncertain

Zorman and Troubadour headed to his instructor, Thana’s, first thing in the morning. Knowing that Thana studied under at least one dragon, Zorman hoped to enlist her aid in freeing Tacticus. While explicitly sympathetic to the amethyst dragon’s plight, Thana was also jealous of Zorman’s having seen such a creature. The more experienced spell caster was also frustrated that Zorman had been to the Pool so soon and distraught at the impossibility of successfully freeing Tacticus. Especially, the née certain odds of death or capture, whether the dragon were saved or not.

          Even so, Zorman’s earnest draconic goodwill swayed Thana somewhat. Unwilling to risk any direct involvement, the sorcereress gave Zorman a box to “hold” for a few days. Maybe there was something helpful inside, maybe not, but Zorman was betting on the former.

          Back at the Silken Slipper Zorman relayed much of what his mentor had said. “Ooh, yeah.” The half-elf turned to Qadira, “when she was trying to talk me out of going back to the Pool, Thana offered me a map to the treasures of an undead city in the desert.”

          “That’s awesome!” Qadira was predictably eager. “Show me!”

          “Can’t, yet.” Zorman shrugged. “Thana said she needs to look for where she put it. I got the impression that she would have looked right away, if I had promised not to go back to the Pool. As it is, it’ll probably be a couple of days.”

          Turning to Grayson, Zorman shifted the topic, “Oh, and you be glad to hear that I’m more on your side now. Thana made it clear that there’s even more dangerous stuff lurking in the blood sewer, than there was in the Pool.”

          The cleric blanched at the thought. However, Goreth and Qadira only became more intrigued.

          After some more theoretical discussion of what could be done for Tacticus, Zorman also pointed out, “You know, we all should have a fair amount of wealth. Heck, the gems we gathered, last night alone, make a hefty fee. So, we could just hire mercenaries to help us save Tacticus, or maybe just do it for themselves. Thana said the Iron Hoof is a good tavern for hiring those sorts of people.”

          Which prompted Goreth to excuse himself, saying, “Hmmm, that might give me an idea. I need to go ask some people some questions.”

          Grayson also headed off to visit his mentor, Zaria. Smug Mr. Enders was still under the impression that for delivering some potions, Zaria would be able to present him with a magical pack of exceptional holding. Unsurprisingly, Zaria had to explain (yet again) that no-one was making such useful magic items simply to sell. Such things were handed down from generation to generation, won in battle, or stolen. Even so, in the literally few days in which she had been looking, Zaria was able to present Grayson with three technically similar objects.

          Even so, Grayson refused the mundane master-crafted haversack with a tracking spell embed. More surprisingly, the young cleric turned away the ‘possum pouch, concerned that the smuggler’s tool would look unseemly. Only afterwards discovering that the magical skin-flap would also feed on its host. Craziest of all, the stubborn merchant’s son threw a snit over a very cool pack with a sewn in portable hoe, simply because the hole did not magically displace its contents weight.

 

Author Note: timing issues meant that the story paused here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	9. Planning a Pool Party

The day: hot and, dry, anticipatory

The contents of the box were “definitely not” to assist the sorcerer in a death defying attempt to liberate the dragon Tacticus. Zorman’s desire to privately see what Thana, his mentor, had “not” given him, was thwarted by a lock. So, the discovery would have to be chared.

Quietly enlisting Goreth’s aid, the box opened to reveal two smaller oblong cases, both exceptionally well crafted. Case one was leather and held a tapered wand. A red jewel at the narrow end and green one at the thicker, implied a duel purpose. With a bit of inspection and studied practice, Zorman verified that the wand would reduce and enlarge a person.

          Once back to normal size, the caught off guard Goreth departed Zorman’s room, before the sorcerer could pull out the much more dangerous looking other package. The second case was larger and extra heavy, being made of leather wrapped pewter, and embossed with warnings of “DANGER” and “NUL” in various tongues. Taking the warnings seriously, Zorman had his unseen servant extract a sturdy and relatively planish looking wooden scepter with a light-absorbing black stone at its end. When the unseen servant vanished unexpectedly, Zorman suspected dispel magic and successfully tested the theory against some prestidigitation effects.

          After carefully resealing the magical gifts and strapping the cases to his belt, Zorman returned to the Silken Veil’s common room to make plans with his colleagues. Unfortunately, Grayson had yet to return from visiting his mentor, Zaria.

          “It really has been several hours.” Qadira confirmed Grayson’s absence.

          “Should we treat it as a hostile situation?” Goreth half jested. “Based on the way he talks about her treatment of him.”

          “Well, I do think she _is_ powerful and dangerous,” Zorman mused, “but she was nice to us when we met her. So, Grayson’s probably just exaggerating, as usual.” Shrugging. “On the other hand, I really want to plan this rescue, so we should see if he’s going to join us or not.”

          At Thoth’s library-temple, Grayson continued his “peaceful” (re: annoyance based) “protest” (tantrum), over not having received the exact magic item that he had asked his mentor to find, as a favor. Ever practical, Zaria had turned the situation into a learning/punishment experience for a handful of her most junior acolytes. Grayson’s friends arrived just in time to witness Zaria demonstrating the usefulness of a backpack with a portable fox-hole sewn into its base.

          Zorman was fascinated with the magic, as usual. While none of the party could understand why Grayson was not happy to be given a valuable magic item. Upon questioning the young cleric, it was even revealed that he had also been offerd and refused a magical ‘possum pouch (AKA smuggler’s skin).

          Goreth immediately entered into negotiations with Zaria for the magical skin-flap/parasite, Seeing Goreth’s interest got Grayson to accept the ‘pouch and the party returned to a private room, at the Silken Veil.

          Planning to save Tacticus commensed. Grayson used his identifier to confirm that Zorman’s scepter was a rod of magic cancelation. With the new magic items added to consideration and Goreth’s preliminary casing of the cells, the group came up with several tentative and loose plans for getting the dragon free of the Pool. All agreed, however, that more research was needed before finalizing any actions.

          Amidst the planning, a stable boy interrupted the adventures to inform them that their jub jubs were ill and causing unreasonable difficulties, so the owners would needs be responsible for feeding the beasts. In the stables, the riding birds proved to have antonymous tentacles growing from them. None of the party recognized the effect as a familiar illness, poison, or spell, though magic was detectible. So, Zorman carefully wielded his borrowed rod and taped each jub jub, causing all tentacle to wither away.

          Meanwhile, Qadira and Goreth tracked down and questioned one of the stablehands. Fortunately discovering that the illness has been known to effect other meat eating mounts, in various other stables throughout the city. The pre-adolescent groom speculated that it was caused by rats that sneak in and get eaten. So, at least it wasn’t a targeted attack against the four occasional temple raiders. Though, everyone (save Zorman) wanted to investigate further.

          “Personally, it seems like a civic works issue, to me.” The sorcerer advocated. “Maybe the sanitation department? Regardless, we’re trying to save a dragon-child, first, right?”

          With grudging acceptance, the group readied themselves for another evening hanging out with the Lotus Flowers in The Pool. Between sets, the adventurers seemed to meander through the casino, effectively studying distances and security measures.

          In the cell area, there were more guards than the group had anticipated, although not enough to dissuade their planning. Also, The Pool’s Procuror (jailor/zookeeper) was accepting payments for tours of the caged combatants. Luckily, the foursome looked weak, poor, and inexperience, so they were charged little and only cursorily inspected for spells and weapons. Other visitors received much more thorough scrutiny, including the Procurer employing a monocle of presumably more power than Grayson’s identifier.

          While waiting in line, the party was recognized by Advik Yemen-Khalil, a gnome perfume merchant and relative of the gnomes whom the party had saved weeks earlier. The party basked in the modicum of admiration, as Advik recounted Mitra’s rescue to his “date” Qisha (a somewhat elfish human). The merchant also offered to provide a discount on his wares, before he departed the company.

          Within the cell/cage area, Zorman adopted the affectation of needing to study all the wonders with his lorgnette. Thus, the half elf was able to verify what sort of magic was on which cages. The group also took note of which prisoners might be of use as allies, for escaping The Pool, even if only as distractions. Lastly, while Goreth and Grayson distracted the guards with rube-like questions, Zorman surreptitiously cast a message spell, linking him to Tacticus and the rest of his party.

          Once back behind the performance stage, the adventurers were able to communicate their intentg to the dragon. As a prisoner, Tactiicus was unable to provide much more additional data. Unfortunately, the very young dragon was also unable say where his home was (any better than most 8 yr old humans), though he did give his mother’s name Lucetta. If Tacticaus could not be freed, Zorman hoped to survive long enough to find the matronly dragon and have her either free her child or avenge him, should he not live. Tacticus did barely survive that evening’s battle, with a huge purple worm monster. However, if the rescue attempt failed, there would be no guaranty that the dragon-child would last to see his mother, if she could be contected.

So, the team made their finalized plans. Starting with hiding below stage props and sleeping, ‘til the daytime, when only cursory support staff should be in the otherwise empty caverns. Upon waking, the party employed as many spells as they could and moved as swiftly as possible to free Tacticus.

As shall be described next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	10. Pool Party

The day: dark, muggy, and intense

The party of adventurers had successfully hid their sleeping forms, below varies stage props, below The Pool’s main stage. It helped that gambling den’s guards had great confidence that no-one would be so foolish as to do exactly what the foursome were doing. Thus, inspections were cursory and uneventful.

          In the morning, after Grayson’s prayers, he Goreth and Zorman each cast their message spells, so that as much of the party could be in constant verbal contact as possible. Zorman wielded one of the “gifts” from his mentor Thana, to shrink each person to gnome size. Then everyone took a pinch of their illusion dust and made themselves look like tiny mephitis. Zorman employed precipitation to add darker pigmentation to the disguises, for greater camouflage. Zorman then cast mage armor on his friends that wanted it. The sorcerer also cast a couple of unseen servants, to carry his crossbows and for any incidental back up. Just before skulking across the casino/arena Zorman cast a magic weapon spell on one of his light crossbow and another on Qadira’s falchion., On the journey, Goreth whispered an inspiring bardic chant, via the message spell, to further shore up everyone’s resolves.

          Troubadour was part of Zorman’s message spell, so was left behind to verify that the group’s retreat remained unhindered. The tinyphant was entrusted with Zorman’s one alchemical thunderstone, as a potential alarm/distraction, should any Nassir Family members get too close.

          Two entries led to the holding cells. The main double doors near the arena were closed tight and farthest from the team’s objective. The other door was accessed by passing through a kitchen. Thankfully, waiting out the night had paid off and all but a minimal guard staff had departed.

          The plan, as discussed, had been for Goreth to use his ghost sound spell to distract the four guards. Hopefully, at least two of the watchmen would investigate the mislead, allowing the infiltrators to subdue the remainders, then take out the other two, when they came back.

          Unfortunately, what Goreth thought of as a distraction merely placed all four guards on high defensive alert. Rather than making it sound as if prisoners were escaping, from the far corner of the cells, the new bard made it sound as if someone was breaking into the main arena-cell entrance. Afterwards, Zorman would wonder if Goreth (technically a Nassir member) might have been trying to sabotage the whole dragon rescue.

          With the guards moving to lock all access to the cells, the four adventurer had to throw out any pretence of stealth and leap into action. Thankfully, Grayson had wisely chosen to beseech Thoth for hold person spells. The first two guards were quickly paralyzed and tied up, while Qadira fended off a third guard. The last guard was busy locking the main entrance, then sped around the narrow hall to provide closer back up to his fighting ally.

          Unfortunately, Qadira’s opponent shrugged away Grayson’s final hold spell. Regardless, had the first two guards not succumb, the party would surely have perished or been captured, immediately.

          The fight was bottlenecked in the narrow corridor, precisely in front of the door to Tacticus’s cell. The head guard and Qadira were so evenly matched that neither could push the other even five feet one way or the other. Even so, Zorman had his wand of shattering—hard won years earlier—so he blasted apart the locks on the dragon’s cell, as well as others before the battle was over. The sorcerer also destroyed the remain two guard’s weapons, when he was finally able to get a clear shot, along with an occasional crossbow bolt.

          For the most part and in deference to Goreth’s relation to the Family, the team had gone in with intent to merely subdue the watchmen. However, with the encounter so quickly escalated, lethal response was inevitable. Especially when Goreth had drawn first blood, such as it was with his shrunken hand crossbow,

          All the while, Grayson lent what magical support he could with a summoned celestial badger and a group blessing. The cleric had, again wisely, forgone summoning any of his signature ice beast. Yet, after that Grayson had expended almost all of Thath’s graces for the day and besides the passage was too narrow to get closer to the point of contention. Meanwhile, one of Zorman’s unseen servants had been stripping the two captured guards of weapons and valuables. So, rather than taking the long way around the central cells, too attack the guards from the far side, Grayson scooped up the key-ring and proceeded to free other sentient prisoners. Not that any of them actually joined the fight, beyond stomping to death the bound guards, as they fled.

          Zorman had also been keeping up a steady stream of banter. Continuing with the disguise, the sorcerer made demands for pretty stones, as had the mephit muggers, a couple of nights earlier. Between that and Grayson liberation of other prisoners, Zorman had great hope that (should they escape) the Nassir would have an even harder time discerning the true motive for the break in.

          Although, the potential success of the mission was once more slowed, by Goreth sneaking into the dragons unlocked cell. Thus, effectively preventing the dragon from exiting to join the fight against the guards and blocking Zorman from entering and using the “gifted” Rod of cancelation on Tacticus’s anchoring collar. Admittedly, the roguish bard did, at one point request that Zorman pass him the rod, but that simply was not going to happen. Even if the sorcerer had not been bound and determined to live up to Thana’s trust, hr simply did not tryst that Gorteh would use it well. Accidentally or otherwise, Goreth seemed likely to disenchant Zorman or his valuables, certainly dispelling their illusory disguises, if nothing else.

          That said, Goreth did wind up encouraging Tacticus to lash out at the guards, killing one of the remaining two. The last guard finally fell back, allowing Zorman access to Tacticus. After briefly calming the dragon and identifying himself as the whispered voice from the last two nights, the sorcerer canceled the magic of the collar. Tacticus expressed verbal thanks and vanished, back to his home plane of Earth.

Unfortunately, in the hullabaloo, one of the guards had been able to send out an alarm. So, it was about then that the heavily magic laden Procurer arrived. The woman was sure to be only the vanguard of a wave of Nassir enforces. Luckily, the arrogance of criminals got the better of her.

Quickly assessing the adventurers as a minimal threat, the Procurer opted to have some malicious fun. The powerful human almost certainly had a spell or magic item that could capture or kill the invaders. Instead she opted to try out a newly acquired device. Specifically an ocarina capable of summoning a swarm of voracious scarabs from the blood sewers (a grate for which was at her feet). The procurer’s hubris, however, took hold as a false note, which caused the ensuing swarm to instead attack its summoned.

All four party members knew well enough when Thoth and fate were smiling on them, so they ran. Zorman’s unseen servants and Grayson were even able to grab up what little valuables had been on the fallen guards. To slow any pursuit a bit more, Grayson cast his last spell and filled the cell hall with an obscuring mist, while Zorman shattered the alcohol stores within the kitchen and used prestidigitation to ignite the spirits, as they passed.

Therefore, the group felt they could spare a moment or two, while passing through the main casino. Zorman collect Troubadour and the group used up the last of their illusion dust. Masquerading as the cell watchmen, the party passed through the long and guarded tunnel, back up to the city. Once into Luxor and away, the disguises were dropped and the party sought the respite of the Silken Biel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	11. Still Learning?

 

Two months: hot to searing, dropping into the mild of earlier growing season

The near fiasco of Tacticus’s liberation got all four party members thinking. Specifically, in spite of having been excused from study barely two weeks earlier, each adventurer felt it was necessary to pay for more tutelage ASAP.

          However, before delving whole-hog into their respective apprenticeships, the group made preliminary efforts to discover the source of the rat plague. Mostly because their jub jubs where too dumb to not eat the infected rats which caused the magical tentacles uncontrolled on the eaters. Seeking an end to the afflicted rats was further prompted by Thana (Zorman’s mentor) reclaiming her magic rod and wand of reduction/enlargement. Although, Thana was quite pleased when Zorman did clarify that the rod could be used to cancel the illness. So, it would be that the first few days of the sorcerer’s new “studies” were devoted to “improving” his agility, by chasing down and curing Thana’s b-tentacles pet cat.

          Prior to that though, the four unlikely friends sought answers to the plague source at Velim’s Valuable Vials. The team’s assumption was that the potion polluted puddles around the alchemist’s shop were indicative of a likely cause. Velim was out, so the party dealt with his misshapen apprentice, Myron. The lad (most probably male, at any rate) was extremely reluctant to let the group investigate beyond the storefront. Even so, Grayson eventually provided a large enough bribe to garner two minutes of unobserved access to the warded building.

Not that the brief search turned up anything conclusive. Zorman skimmed a research journal and Grayson discovered a conspicuously locked trap door. With so little time the party settled for the initial casing of the home/shop, in case future (less polite) entry would be called for.

“Personally,” Zorman observed, “I think it’s likely that Velim is making the rats sick. But I don’t think he’s doing it on purpose. I mean, just like the puddles, I bet the rats are just a side effect of the run off.”

“Then we need to have him taken to task for the polluting.” Grayson asserted.

“Well, that doesn’t seem likely does it?” Qadira countered. “I mean seriously, this guy’s the only alchemist in town.”

“Yeah, _and_?” Grayson snorted.

Qadira rolled her eyes and raise a finger, “ _And_ two things. Firstly anyone who’s anyone is probably a client. So, he’s bound to have connections.” The half-elf raise another finger. “Secondly, he’s got to be a pretty amazing poisoner, to be able to keep other alchemists from opening shops in a city this size. So, if we start accusing him of stuff, we’re unlikely to wake up, one day shortly thereafter.”

With that food for thought, the party departed. Although, not before Goreth purchased a couple of non-lethal poisons from the apprentice alchemist. Zorman also traded the mephit remains that he had collected for a potion of clairaudience/clairvoyance from Myron’s personally crafted collection.

Then it was back to the grindstones of the foursome’s own apprenticeships. On the much rarer lunch or dinner meet ups, the adventurers agreed that Grayson easily had the most demanding and malicious instructor. Although, all of them spent as much time or more doing menial tasks for their respective masters and mistresses, than they did in actual practice and study.

The little free time that the individual group members had went to further fruitless investigations of the rat problem. Grayson also continued his relentless browsing for a truly valuable magic item for sale by a rube who had no idea what they were selling. Zorman also kept pestering Thana for the map, to an undead city, which she had promised. Thana had really only intended it as a better distraction than breaking into the Pool, so with Tacticus free she was reluctant to send her apprentice into a desert necropolis.

Enzo, the bard, also visited each adventurer. Zorman suspected the human of working for the Pool and trying to uncover news of who perpetrated the break in. If nothing else, the charming man saw the party as a ripe source of inspirations for his own songs and tall-tales. Regardless, Enzo was pleasant enough and each party member was happy to chat, though none spoke of even knowing about the Pool’s jailbreak.

 

The day: tolerably warm and somewhat cloudy

More nefariously, when the team once more gathered to celebrate being set free of immediate apprentice duties, each had unsettling tales. Just like their previous training, each had experienced at least one ominous event. Zorman had entered his room to find a snake sculpted of ash in his fireplace. Qadira sported a new scabbard made of giant viper hide, as she and her mentor had encountered a nest of three of the beasts. Goreth told of having awoke to find the apple he had intended for breakfast to have been fang-punctured and discolored by venom. Lastly, Grayson complained a perpetual hissing noises, every time that it was quiet and he was alone.

Grayson voiced everyone’s suspicion, “Well that’s it, we’re cursed. Apep is actually after us for that deserted temple thing.”

The discussion was cut short when Enzo entered the Silken Veil and approached the party’s table. This time, the bard came as a messenger, extending an invitation to meet with some powerful people. Supposedly the invitation was to discus a job offer, though Zorman strongly suspected that it was the Nassir ready to punish them for The Pool mess. Even so, the group’s uncontrollable and clearly unhealthy curiosity once more got the better of them and they followed Enzo to the Grotto Bathhouse for the meeting.

Within the humidity laden private meeting room, six obviously sinister humans greeted and glowered at the four adventurers. Zorman was relieved that none of the strangers were familiar from the Pool. Goreth was silently nominated as the parties representative. Then things went pear shaped.

The one female of the other group spoke on their behalf and did so with distinct sibilant esses. “We are.. ssshall we sssay hisstorianss. And it hasss come to our attansssion that you have recsssently learned of an interesssting forgotten hissstorical locatssion.”

With similarly thinly veiled allusions, it became quickly clear that the would be employers were Apep cultists and wanted to be taken to the lost temple. At least, it was clear to everyone, except the never attentive Grayson Endron.

Inexplicably, Goreth did not even try to deny or hide the group’s encounter with the evil temple. Even more confounding, the roguish bard both confessed to having taken holy relics from the site and offered them back to the disturbing cultists.

Horrified and confused that Goreth was simply giving away the incredibly expensive magical bracers, which they had fought fire snakes for, Zorman then spoke foolishly. Specifically, Grayson made some obtuse comment about not understanding the cultist’s motivations, so the half-elf sorcerer blurted out the obvious truth. Thus, it was Goreth and Qadira’s turns to gave dumbfounded, as Zorman had done regarding Goreth’s admissions. Ultimately, the adventurers agreed to escort the cultists to Apep’s lost temple, the following day.

Then, in spite of two of the oversized cultists acting as unwanted bodyguards, the group was able to have a private conversation about what to actually do. Weirdly, Goreth mostly just wanted to do what they had said they would. Leading Zorman to suspect that either the cultists were Nassir in disguise and the bard was still presenting his loyalty to them, or he simply had a death wish. Zorman advocated either leading the cultist to the undead city, instead of their temple, or flat out fleeing to a distant country. Grayson and Qadira were okay with fleeing, though they didn’t want to go any further than Luxor’s blood-sewers. Of course, temple raiding was a perennial favorite of Qadira’s so she also leaned towards Goreth’s desire. In the end, Zorman also secretly wanted to investigate the lost temple further. Thus, the party members left word with their mentors and prepared to trek into the desert. Each taking what precaution they could think of, based on their assumptions of being betrayed and attacked by the cultists.

 

The next few days: tolerably warm, arid, and sandy

On the way out of town a couple of gnomes attempted to talk to the party, apparently with a job offer of some sort. Unfortunately, the cult guards muscled past the encounter. Grayson was able to leave his glass sculpture (presented to him by the fire elementals, months ago). Zorman was especially disappointed, much preferring to work for the gnomes at any task, rather than take the journey on which he was being semi-forced.

It would not be until much later that Zorman would lament not having pleaded with the gnomes to send a tracking party after them. Even more regrettable was not having asked Thana to train the cultists, with some mercenary hirelings.

Instead, at the time, everything was great and the party’s new hissy friends were wonderful traveling companions. Even Grayson’s insistence that his colleagues had been charmed, failed to dampen their spirits. Of course, four or five hours later, the unease of paranoia returned, only to be washed away the first half of the following day. The next day, even Grayson was copasetic, though it was Qadira’s turn to act all snooty about their six stoic friends.

Zorman suspected something really was going on, but could not quite grasp what. Being charmed over and over again was certainly a possibility, it just seemed the least likely. So, assuming something was wrong with the food, the sorcerer made sure to feed himself from the many stores he had filled his party’s sun-wagon with.

 

Next time, steps are taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	12. Pre-emptive

The day: comfortably warm and sandy

It was the third “day” out from Luxor. Qadira in the lead on her camel, while everyone else was on war jub jubs—except Goreth and Zorman who’s birds had not been combat trained. The half-elfin ranger, as with all truly experienced desert travelers, had the party sleeping for most of the day and traveling as much as possible from dusk to mid-morning. Though, the adventurer’s new “friends” the “historians” insisted on resting during the coldest portions of each night. Even though, Zorman thought it was better to travel at the cold points to build up body heat through movement.

          It was during that evenings prolong meal break, that Goreth surreptitiously had Zorman cast cat’s grace on him. Even so, the charming bard failed to sneak sleeping draft into the cultist’s soup.

          Goreth’s risky behavior once more reminded Zorman that he really did not trust the cultists either. So, the sorcerer used a message spell to have a private discussion with his actual allies. it was readily obvious that Qadira was still charmed, though, so Grayson beseeched Thoth to dispel the nefarious magic. With all four adventurers free of enchantment, they easily agreed that something must be done about the cultists.

          “They’re certainly going to turn on us.” Zorman surmised. “Best case scenario, enslaving us. Although, more likely, they’ll sacrifices to their crazy fire God.”

          “So, we need to wipe them out now.” Grayson advocated.

          “Or,” Qadira offered, “we could just run off. Especially if we could disable their mounts. Like with a sleeping poison, or sneaky spell?”

           “Not likely.” Goreth shook his head. “Since they spotted me trying to dose the soup, they’re going to be extra cautious about that sort of thing.”

          “They caught you and let it pass?” Qadira was confused.

          “I told them that It was just spices.” Goreth shrugged. “I don’t think I convinced them, but they were uncertain enough to just warn me away from the food.”

          “And,” Zorman added, “the stealthiest spell we have is my unseen servant. So, I might be able to slowly cut through their saddle straps, but they’re likely to notice, considering how watchful they’ve been.”

          “Well,” Qadira mused, “we can still run. As long as we can get out of sight, it should ne easy to loose them. It is the _trackless_ desert, after all.”

          “Okay, I can cast an obscuring mist.” Grayson admitted. “But, I still think we should just slaughter them now.”

          “Slaughter?” Goreth was mildly dismayed.

          “Yeah, really.” Zorman agreed. “I don’t trust them, but they really haven’t harmed us. Mostly, I mean, I think fighting’s inevitable. Especially, because if we’re fighting, they’re charm spells are less likely to work.”

          Grayson shook his head, “Look, I’m pretty sure that they aren’t human. Specifically, Apep is known to have created a race of snake-people.” He nodded to the cultists. “They get sluggish whenever the temperature cools down. So, we have an advantage now.”

The discussion went on for a while longer. The immediate down sides: it was dark so Goreth and Grayson would be disadvantaged and the cleric and sorcerer had both already used some of their daily spell allotments. Pluses included: surprising the cultists, sluggish foes, and none of the adventurers were currently charmed. Waiting for the spell casters to regain their full abilities would mean risking loosing one or more to charm again. Plus, Qadira strongly advocated for being mounted, for easier mobility should escaping become an option.

Ultimately, the compromise was struck. The adventurers would all act as unsuspicious as possible, to avoid being re-charmed. The whole party would start trekking again, before dawn. With everyone mounted, Grayson would wait until the sun had risen far enough for him to see clearly. Zorman would as unobtrusively as possible cast mage armor and cat’s grace on himself and his allies. Then the cleric would give a hand signal and cast an obscuring mist between his group and the cultists. Then, the adventurers would dash, far enough away to be out of range of the charm spells, before turning and fending off the foes with ranged weapons. Thus, the escapees would hopefully have a brief period of surprise in which to ready their attacks. Even though Zorman and Grayson would be short a few spells, the cultists would also be lacking the charms that they had cast earlier in the day.

Zorman was exhilarated with surprise when that all went smoothly to pass. Wheeling his riding jub jub around, he saw that none of the foes had emerged from Grayson’s Thoth grant cloud of mist, on their own war jubs. So, leaning towards his friend, the sorcerer cast his final preparation spell, granting Qadira’s long bow magical enhancement. Then Zorman drew his secret weapon, the scroll that he had owned since his former circus troupe had been destroyed by griffons.

Unfortunately, when the enemy emerged from the mist, which blocked their sight, they had cast darkness about themselves, which in turn hindered the adventurers’ vision. Luckily, the darkness indicated that the cultists remained fairly well clustered together. So, Zorman unleashed the fireball, which had been stored on the scroll.

Many satisfying screams of pain emerged from the unnatural blackness. Thoth allowed Grayson to summon a horse-sized dire-wolf ice-creature and then an ice hippogriff, between the two groups. The ranger let fly arrows in quick succession. Zorman’s remaining spells required a closer range, so he resorted to a slower than Qadira rate of fire with his two crossbows. Although, having his unseen servant reload and hold one crossbow, while the half-elf fired the other, meant that he still shot fast than most light-crossbow-men. Goreth, for some reason, still had not acquired a decent bow, so wisely chose to watch, rather than rushing towards the enemy.

The cultists seemed to have been largely thwarted by Qadira’s desire to get distance. Only a couple of the foes had bows and their only long range magic turned out to be entangle spells. Although, even as the lush foliage grew out of nowhere, it only snared the adventurers’ mounts. Thus, also validating Qadira’s preference for not fighting on foot.

          In the end Qadira had been mistaken as the only real threat and she suffered several arrow hits. Goreth used his time to hack himself and his allies free of the entanglement. Zorman and Qadira’s missals found many marks, in spite of the hindering darkness. And Grayson’s conjurations harried the foes mercilessly. Only the female leader of the enemies survived and she turned herself into  a tiny viper to try and escape.

          Through the use of detect magic and relentless scouring, the viper was captured. The dead bodies all proved to be scaly and snake-like to various degrees, with equally varied qualities of human disguise.

 

Next time: what to do with the viper? And, will the party continue on to the abandoned Apep temple?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	13. Apep Temple I

The day continued: comfortably warm and sandy

In death the Apep cultists were revealed to be far less human than they had once appeared. All five of the fallen guards had slit-eyes and varying degrees of scaled skin, some only had slits for noses, and two had serpentine tails. It was discoveries like that which made Zorman extra-thankful for his unseen servant spell. Since needing to strip corpses had unfortunately come up from time to time, not having to touch the bodies directly was invaluable. Once retrieved, all of the master-crafted studded-leather armors, scimitars, and long bows, as well as any other valuables, were loaded into an empty water barrel on the group’s sun wagon. Then what to do with the remains was discussed.

          “We could turn them to meat for all these extra Jubs?” Zorman had suggested, since each cultist had road a well trained war jub jub.

          “Not cool.” Goreth dissented. “I don’t think they were nice, but that’s really disrespectful.”

          “We did it with the hyeniad slavers?” Zorman countered.

          “Yes, but _they_ were hyeniads,” Qadira pointed out, “and _slavers_ and we were lost in the desert without other resources.”

“Hey, it’s not like these guys are human, or even elfin.” Grayson chimed in. “Plus, they worshiped _The_ God of Evil and Destruction, so not exactly worthy of respect.”

          “Also,” Zorman nodded towards their captive, “if snaky Fatima al’Akedi gets loose, or their God takes notice leaving the bodies may result in undead chasing us.”

          Ultimately, it had been settled that burial would take too much effort and be too good for the cultists. Burning on the other hand was a traditional disposal of necessity (to avoid scavengers) and might even fit with the worship of a fire deity.

          Fatima remained a dilemma, though. No-one really liked the idea of slaying a captive sentient outright. On the other hand, the (most likely) Apep priestess had transformed with all of her possessions, including the magical items (which Zorman had detected earlier)—especially the bracers of warding against fire. Thoth would grant Grayson the ability to dispel what magics Fatima had used to transform, however the thothite would need to rest in order to recuperate the thuamatic energy needed for channeling his divine spell. So, at least one night’s restraint was called for. In the end, Qadira reinforced a rations box with tightly wound rope, so the group was moderately confident that the tiny snake would not be able to transform back to humanoid and bust free, without seriously damaging herself and making a ruckus.

         

The day: warm, dull, sandy

None of the party was confident in their intimidation or persuasion abilities, enough to want Fatima forced back to humanoid form. Largely, the adventurer’s simply could not decide what to do with the priestess next. With her shape-changing powers, Fatima was very likely to survive if left alone in the vast desert, however that would also leave her free to harrow the party. Especially likely, as the foursome had agreed to head on to the Apep temple. The lost temple was closer than Luxor and the snake-people’s interest in it had convinced the party that they had overlooked valuables on their last “visit”.

So, Fatima was kept in her makeshift cell, in hopes that some better idea would occur to any of the gang. If nothing else, they were likely to leave the stripped priestess in her subterranean temple, once the adventurers had cleaned it out.

 

The day: warm to hot, dangerous, and profitable

Once more atop the dune with the square hole/entrance vie the roof of the buried temple, the over-excited party readied their assault. Qadira cut up the confiscated tents of the cultist to form makeshift shading for the nearly dozen mounts,. Qadira left her animal companion, sirocco (the cheetah they had all been enslaved with, when she met the others), and Zorman left his tinyphant familiar, Troubadour, as jub jub herders/alarm system.

          Meanwhile, Zorman used his unseen servant to once more coral the snakes which had repopulated the temple floor, in the months since the party had last been inside. Unfortunately, in his enthusiasm to get the exploration over with, the sorcerer did forget to make certain minor preparations which may have helped later. Specifically, Zorman had always intended to enter potentially trapped temples with sacks of sand, for the unseen servant to drag ahead of the party and trigger pressure plates.

          With the vipers sorted, the party lowered themselves to the abandoned nave. While all four adventurers searched, it was Zorman’s interest in reading the hieroglyphs which led him to discover a door-like anomaly in the mortaring. A nearby ornate striking-snake statue was also discovered to bear an inscription “Feed me and I live, make be drink and I wither”.

          “Well, the answer’s fire.” Goreth said. “Unsurprisingly.”

          So, the group attempted saying “fire” to the statue in a dozen languages. Then Zorman tried a tinder twig and Grayson a torch (lit and unlit), as well as dousing it in oil and setting that ablaze. In case of an opposite-bluff water was also attempted. Qadira finally suggested, “We need to think like Apep priest, right? This is their congregation hall, but they probably didn’t want the unwashed masses wandering past this room. So, what could they do, that the normal worshiper couldn’t?”

          Goreth snapped his fingers. “Cast Spells!”

          So, Zorman told his allies to stand away from the statue and shot a ray of flame directly into its mouth. The snake burned green and grew. Shifting backwards and opening its mouth ever wider, the statue melded with the odd bit of wall. The resulting door was still snake-mouth shape and its fangs dripped steaming acid.

          Carefully navigating through the portal, the adventurers were nearly overwhelmed by the unnatural heat in the halls beyond. Qadira’s wilderness training helped her adjust and instruct Goreth how to do the same, so that they could proceed with minimal discomfort. Zorman and Grayson, were unfazed as they consistently cast endure element spells on themselves each day.

          Most of the doors would prove to be made of the same granite or marble as the opulent surroundings. The first such barrier also proved to be stuck fast. The combined efforts of Goreth and Qadira dislodged the door, though.

          The rectangular room beyond held little decor, save for a large pool of churning lava. Even before the party could decide whether to enter, hands appeared from the lava. The squat humanoid magma creatures advance swiftly and engaged the party in combat.

          Unsurprisingly, Grayson’s summoned ice-hippogriff made short work of one of the two elementals. More surprisingly, Qadira only held the other foe at bay, while it was Goreth’s deftly thrown dagger that slew it.

          A purposeful search of the room revealed an alcove behind the lava-pool. The niche contained a golden statuette, several gems, and a potion. Grayson seemed a bit irritated with himself for having summoned such a powerful construct to fight such easily defeated foes, so for the first time ever he declined to employ the identifier’s loop on the position. Not that the exceptionally studious Zorman needed more than his lorgnette of magic detection and a few moments of inspection to deduce the potions properties.

          Further along a nearly fifty-foot long room held two amazing tapestries running the lengths of its longest walls. One tapestry depicted the familiar combat of Apep and Bast, though the other revealed a sacrilegious outcome of the snake god eating the cat goddess. Both images were fully animated. Grayson quickly claimed that the fabrics should be rolled up and taken back to Luxor, “On our way out, of course” and Zorman was as quick to second the motion.

          Meanwhile Goreth found a secret door behind the second tapestry, which obviously led back to the lava-pool. A “normal” stone door on the other wall led to a beautifully appointed tiled room.

          The tiled room contained a magically fresh flowing fountain and marble benches for sitting and washing up (as guests and travelers normally would). Unfortunately, just as Zorman followed his two male companions in, the stone door slid firmly shut behind him, leaving Qadira on the other side. At the same moment a shrill chant of “All praise Apep” was heard in the room, followed quickly by three steam mephits pouring out of the fountain’s pipes and attacking the lads.

          Later, Zorman would bemoan, “I thought a room like that was supposed to have a trigger, before the enthralled elementals would attack. I mean, we didn’t even touch the water or hit a pressure plate.”

          “Sure,” Grayson would point out, “but they called for us to praise Apep and we didn’t, so that was probably the trigger.”

          In the end all three mephits had been reduced to puddles and Zorman had need two charges from his wand of shattering to break open the door. All three male adventurers had serious scalds from searing rain and other mephit attack, which Grayson tended with his wand of healing. The fountain proved to be filled with illusory gold, though Goreth did find a compartment below the illusion, holding some more gems.

          The next room contained an oasis statue. Two man-sized ash-snakes leapt from the stone palm trees, as soon as the party entered. The snakes were dispatched and more healing magic was dispersed.

          The whole party grew ever more wary and the two spell casters began to worry about how much magic they had left before needing to rest. Even so, the literary sorcerer and priest of the God of Knowledge were fascinated with the hieroglyphs and bas reliefs. One such carving seemed to claim that Apep was father of an endless variety of monsters, not just the reptilian ones. Thus, since the exploration had only taken a couple of hours, the team moved onward. The group was confident that they had left no doors un inspected in their wake. So, theoretically, the temple raiders could safely fall-back to their campsite and return the following day, to pick-up where they had left off.

          The next door was made of solid iron and was locked, as had been the ash snake lair. Goreth once more picked the lock. Inside was a room bare of anything, save a black basalt slab, upon which lay a burning body. More specifically, the body was armored and its exposed face was aflame.

          Employing a message spell, Grayson verified, “So, this is obviously another guarding elemental, right? Or at least an evil worshipper? So, we should strike first, before it can get the upper hand.”

          Goreth and Qadira hesitated.

          “It’s the Fatima problem, again.” Zorman clarified. “It’s one thing to defend ourselves or do harm onto those that have already harmed us…”

          “Okay, fine.” Frustrated, Grayson strode to the prone figure and tapped its foot with the end of his crossbow.

          The creature rose groggily and looked around bemused. After Grayson spoke to it in the language of fire elementals, for a while, Zorman used the message spell to prompt for information. Grayson tersely indicated that the effort had been summoned by the Apep’s fifty to a hundred years ago, but had not been left with any orders and just wanted to go home. Meanwhile, Goreth simply spoke Gyptian to the effort and was rewarded with a clear, albeit thickly accented, reply.

          Bernard the effort proved to be a perfectly congenial fellow, much like the pair of tourist efforts that the group had met in the desert. Bernard agreed to not attack the party and to explore the temple at their side, in return for being escorted back to Luxor and introduced to Grayson and Zorman’s mentors. The belief being that the two more powerful women would be able to help Bernard return to his home plane.

          A cobra-headed clay golem was found guarding another massive iron door. When the construct failed to lurch into activity at the party’s approach, they opted to pass it by and return fully rested, to discover what presumed treasuries lay beyond the door.

          The next 15x15 room was set with tables for chess and other leisure games and what more will have to wait until the next installment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	14. Apep Temple II

The day (continued): unnaturally hot, dangerous, and promising

Ever cautious (possibly paranoid) Zorman spoke with the recently liberated azir, “So, Bernard, you said that you’d help us loot this place, in exchange for getting you to Luxor and help finding someone that can get you home. Will you also fight on our side, if something attacks us?”

          “Well, I’ll certainly defend myself.” The flame-haired elemental replied cheerfully.

          Which validated Zorman’s concerns. Namely, the sorcerer did not like the idea that he fire-elemental might not help, unless in personal danger. Zorman offered, “Would you accept this pearl, to fight on our behalf, should the need arise?”

          “Are you accusing me of being a petty mercenary?” Bernard asked without malice. “With so small a gem?”

          Zorman had hoped that since the freshwater pearl was not a mineral found in the earth, that it would hold more value for the extra-planar traveler. Following the same logic, the sorcerer pulled out another of the gems the party had found earlier in the buried temple. ”How about for the pearl and this piece of amber?”

          Grayson had been about to chide Zorman for insulting Bernard, based on the elemental’s use of the word “accusing”. However, Bernard’s fiery brows lifted with delight, “Ooh, amber?... yes for the two stones I will help to defend you.”

Beyond the game room the explorers entered a room that had clear blast damage in the far corner, near another door. The wall opposite the door sported five large monstrous masks. Zorman’s Lorgnette revealed that the decorations retained a faint trace of transmutation magic. However, when Goreth cautiously entered, no traps (magical or otherwise) were found or triggered. Also, neither Zorman nor Grayson could deduce what the masks were.

Meanwhile Goreth had unlocked the new door. Passing through the adventurers found a larger chamber with an odd feature. The center of the room held a shallow pit of ash, ringed by a 3 ft. wall of stone. Detritus, including bone fragments were strewn within the ash. A brass plaque affixed to the wall read, “Love the sweet poison of his gaze, embrace the darkness after the burning”.

“What do we think?” Zorman asked “Fighting pit, or this is were they used to incinerate there trash?”

No-one could be certain. They were all concerned that some creature lurked below the ash, or might be summoned, yet nothing attacked. Nor was anything of greater value or interested discovered, so the group moved on.

Next, a stone and Iron door were located near each other. Behind the heavy stone was a magical fountain, which produced heavy smoke, rather than water. From the fountain rose a man-sized fire-worm. Bernard identified the beast as a pest of the fire-plane, similar to a material-plane hyena, known as a thaqua. Qadira made a swift assessment and closed the door. The spell casters simply were too uncertain of the power that they had left, to bring to bear on the fiery creature.

Goreth unlocked the metal door and walked into the short hall beyond, before Zorman had a chance to use his magic detecting lorgnette to explain that the walls were illusory. Darts flew from the illusion-hidden holes, dealing the rogue-bard severe damage. Unfortunately for Goreth, even knowing were the pressure plate was did not give him enough data to disable the trap, while being pelted with darts. So, the large nosed fellow wound-up suffering more wounds, in order to return to his companions. After some mockery, Grayson did verify that Goreth was not poisoned and healed him with his magic wand.

With no other halls or doors available, the adventurers discussed how to proceed. Zorman favored retreating to camp and recuperating magical energies. Grayson had not fully depleted his allotment of divine energies and therefore strongly felt that it would be wasteful to return to the surface. The others did not care much either way, except Goreth did not want to deal with the trap again.

In the end, Grayson beseech Thoth for one more icy-hippogriff to attack the thaqua. The timing of the battle was pour, resulting in Qadira being badly burned. On the other hand, the summoned ice construct quickly destroyed the thaqua and still lasted long enough for Grayson to have it enter the trapped hallway. The darts did not seem to deplete, although there was a delay in the timing which Goreth thought might be useful. However, by then Grayson had joined Zorman’s efforts to petition the group to go back to camp and rest.

There was a brief dilemma regarding the rope, used to climb out of the subterranean nave. Specifically, fiery Bernard could not grab the silk rope without igniting it. Fortunately, Grayson had an odd gnomish metal device designed for making rope climbing easier. Even so, the main party had to climb up first and haul Bernard up after.

Unfortunately, the fire elemental found the outside world frightfully dark and exceptionally could. The magically overheated temple along with Grayson’s light spell had mitigated such concerns, up ‘til then. Ultimately, Bernard slept within the party’s campfire.

 

The day: unnaturally hot, dry, and “lucky”

Qadira warned the group, “the mounts might be attracting predators. I think they’ll be fine with Sirocco here to act as deterrent, but just fair warning, incase they’re not.”

          “Sirocco?” Grayson wondered. “Since when can you control the winds to protect our mounts?”

          “Her animal companion.” Goreth rolled his eyes. “the cheetah that used to belong to the dead druid and has been traveling with us since we escaped the hyena slavers.”

          Meanwhile, Zorman had other concerns, before returning to the abandoned Apep temple. So, the half-elf made the preparations which he had regretted not doing the day before. Casting two unseen servant spells, the sorcerer used one to carry his heavy wooden shield and the other would drag a couple of sacks of sand, ahead of the parry.

          “But unseen servant is so slow.” Grayson whined. “

          “Yes, and so is meticulously searching for traps.” Zorman countered. “And as proven with yesterdays’ dart fiasco, Goreth doesn’t always find the pressure plates safely. The servant won’t get  hurt if the sandbags trip a trap.”

          Lastly, as far as the adventurers’ could tell, there captive (the snake-shaped cult-leader Fatima) seemed to still be in the rope bound box. Zorman concerned that a predator may attack the camp and inadvertently free the cultist, chose to bring the prison along, in his back pack.

          “So, what do we tackle first?” Zorman asked, while using prestidigitation to create a tiny magic flame, reopening the secret door from nave to inner temple. “Take on the cobra-headed golem? See what was behind the two doors in the thaqua lair? Or try dealing with the dart-hall trap?”

          “First,” Grayson said definitively, “we need to check through all of the places that we’ve been. To make sure that they remain safe and empty.”

          At first, the precaution seemed tediously unnecessary. Then, at the water fountain room, high pitch tittering could be heard from within. Since the party had ruined that door the previous day, they chose not to cross the threshold, in hopes that the summoning magic would not fully activate, or that the steam mephitis were at least bound to that chamber.

          The explorer’s luck held regarding the steam monsters, however slightly less so with the ash snakes. The passage which contained the sculptures of stone palm trees held another of the brutal snakes. The party successfully ducked past the creature and it did not follow. So, the group could but hope that it too was confined by some magical binding and that no would more propagate.

          From there the quintet returned to the dart-trapped passage.

          “Even with the sand bags in place on the trap,” Goreth hesitated, “The reload delay isn’t long enough for me to disable it.”

          “Oh hey, Bernard can we borrow your shield for this.” After getting permission, Zorman explained. I’ll send in the sandbags firs, so you can have them for additional cover. But, since I’m running two unseen servants I’ll have one hold my shield and the other Bernard’s. Since the darts only come from the left and right walls, as long as you’re crouched, the shields will protect you.”

          Thus, it was that Goreth disabled the trap and unlocked the Iron door, at the far end of the hall. The room beyond was a still fairly opulent bedchamber, certainly for a evil head-priest. Scale-patterned bas relief covered one wall, while another depicted Apep’s more lascivious tales. Zorman’s unseen servant swept the floor with sandbags, verifying no pressure plates, while the sorcerer used his lorgnette to detect that the cloth bound object above the bed radiated strong divination and some more obscured was magical near or in the nightstand. Grayson also took the opportunity call on Thoth’s grace to allow him to detect secret and concealed doors, of which he found two.

          The cleric’s strode forward to inspect the first door, however, triggered something else. In an alcove, unseen from the entry, stood a full-length bronze mirror, framed in its own free standing pedestal. As soon as Grayson’s reflection appeared in that mirror the shadowy reflection took on animation of its own and exited the mirror. The shadow exited the mirror and headed for Grayson.

          Luckily, Goreth had entered the room far enough to witness the event and warn the others. Zorman sent his unseen servant with his shield to cover the offending magical portal. More urgently, Grayson was torn between horror at the attack and elation at being able to call upon a rarely used connect to divine Thoth. Recognizing that the creature was an extra-planar undead, the cleric held forth his holy symbol drove the shadow away with the full might of Thoth’s glory. Turning, the incorporeal shadow fled through the wall.

          Unable to discern a command word or control mechanism, Zorman attempted to thwart the mirror by facing it to the wall. Unfortunately, the next insubstantial shadow merely passed into the wall and then around and out into the room again. Although, without an image in the mirror, the shadow appeared as a featureless humanoid shape. Grayson once more channeled Thoth’s purity to turn the shadow away, though not before Zorman had the chance to damage it with his magic dagger.

          Goreth joined Zorman, in seeking a way to deactivate the mirror. It was the clever human that noticed some of the objects reflected in the mirror were positioned differently than in the actual room. By righting a fallen goblet and resetting a ewer filled with dried herbs, Goreth successfully closed the portal on the next emerging shadow, severing its arm.

          Zorman and Grayson excitedly discussed how to transport the mirror back to the library of Thoth for sale and study. Qadira and Goreth were horrified at the idea of traveling with the cursed item. Bernard had been left in the hall, as  a look out. Ultimately, it was clear that a handful of specific objects (including a high-backed chair) had to be arranged in a very specific manner, in order to keep the mirror locked. There would be no way to transport the objects, without unlocking the mirror.

          Zorman was especially distraught, because he had been hoping to leave Fatima in the thoroughly ransacked temple, when they left. After forcing the cultist out of her snake-form and taking her valuable, of course. With the vile mirror in place, the sorcerer could only imagine that the evil cultist would turn it to her advantage.

          The nightstand held a hidden compartment which contained a potion and a scroll, as well as a non-magical yet expensive looking straight razor. Zorman determined that the gauze wrapped around  the wall-mounted magic item sported many symbols and phrases which indicated that the item was a valued treasure taken in battle, yet vile to look upon by devote Apepian eyes. Thus reassured that the object was most likely benevolent, Zorman unwrapped a masterful silver owl-mask, of a style often used by priests of Nephthys.

          Meanwhile, Grayson investigated the secret doors. Neither were trapped or locked. The first led to the smoke fountain room in which had been a the thaqua. The other was full of sand. Most of the party readily agreed that it had been an escape to the outside, when the temple had been above ground. Grayson was more inclined to believe that it led to more nefarious tunnels. However, since cursory digging proved too effort-some, the aristocratic priest quickly grew bored with trying.

          As the others scoured the room for any additional wealth, Grayson lined up all of the found magic and employed his identifier’s loop. Hence the confirmation of the specific locking mechanisms of the shadow portal mirror. The potion was bear’s endurance and the scroll held a single darkvision spell. The mask provided a direct conduit of communion with Righteous Nephthys.

          “Well, we obviously can’t leave that here,” Zorman observed, “but we can’t keep it either, right? I mean we’ve already ticked off Apep and Sobek, but They were pretty much never going to be nice to us anyway. I really don’t want to start offending the rest of the pantheon though.”

          “Well, let’s see what She wants us to do.” Grayson said and donned the mask.

          For a minute or so the thothian entertained his companions by making hooting noises and badly pantomiming flying around the room. Other than making certain that Grayson did not inadvertently re-pen the mirror, his friends could only giggle with amusement. Upon removing the mask, the clerics fingernails had grown long and sharp and he continued to extend his spoken “oo” sounds.

          “Holy Nephthys,” Grayson explained, “wants us to deliver the mask to a temple of her people. She suggested speaking with the elf-nomads for directions… But, the fairyland district in Luxor has a bunch of elves and I know there temples there, so that’ll probably be fine.”  
          The group collect Bernard and headed into the thaqua’s former lair. The smoke fountain smelled of frankincense and myrrh, but nothing of value was discovered in the room or fountain. There were two doors on the north wall the main on the east, and the secret door to the bedchamber on the west. On the south was an inscription, “The line of Faith shall end when the mountains are wreathed in flame”. Neither of the two new doors were locked, once sound as if there might be a piece of loose metal behind it, while the other made a faint shuffling sound. Opening the latter revealed a vast cavernous chamber, dominated by a looming step pyramid. Before the ziggurat was a pair of poles fixed with iron rings, clearly for binding sacrifices. Behind the structure could just be made out another cobra-headed clay golem. Atop the pyramid was could a HUGE snake.

          Before the party could act, the snake shifted and was gone, having slid effortlessly into a hole in the now obviously hollow ziggurat. Additional holes could be seen dotting the structure’s exterior.

 

Who will survive the ensuing battle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	15. Apep Temple III

The day continued: unnaturally hot, cooling to warm

Zorman bestowed what magical aid that he could, amongst the party, while they quickly discussed tactics. Everyone expected the huge snake to have some fire powers, but could still only hoped that it was a dumb animal.

          Zorman used his thunderstone and a ghostly shaped dancing lights to draw the curious snake from hiding within the ziggurat. Effectively confirming the dumb animal hypothesis. Goreth was more intimidated than he expected, so his voice was somewhat strangle. Thus, the bard’s song was insufficient to fascinate the mighty beast. However, Grayson’s summoned dire ice would kept the creature out of its hiding and at a distance. Even though the ice construct proved wholly ineffectual in combat.

          Bernard dealt some damage with, thrown fiery axes, and Qadira sunk many arrows into the gigantic serpent. However, it was Zorman’s magically enhanced crossbow which dealt the most lethal and ultimately fatal blows to the monster. Something about the née unimaginable size the snake had made it much easier for the young sorcerer to focus on the creature’s more vital target points (i.e. the half elf found it fairly easy to hit the broadside of a barn).

          With the combat over, Grayson and Zorman nearly simultaneously called for the group to redirect what remained of their magical enhancements to destroying the golem. The statue construct barely reacted and it was quickly clear that it was more of a locking mechanism than a guard. This cobra-headed golem spoke, and presented a puzzle for those who would pass. The golem of the ziggurat chamber offered a mathematical puzzle which stymied all of the adventurers. However, Qadira surmised that the shape of the temple meant the earlier golem encountered must stand before a door which led to the same location. That golem’s challenge was more literary, offering a wax tablet which read “Lewd did I live,” With hardly a moment’s thought, Zorman took the tablet from Grayson’s hand and wrote, “Evil I did dwell.” The golem stepped aside and the door behind opened.

          To the slack jawed and stunned expressions of his fellows, Zorman shrugged, “Making it a palindrome seemed too trite, so mirroring the message was the only thing that made sense.”

          Within the temple’s central-most chamber was only a single feature. A twenty foot high archway of brilliant and cascading flames, towered before the party. Just as Zorman was suggesting to Bernard that it might be a portal back to his own realm, a twelve-foot tall flaming female figure slid through the arch, in place of legs the she had a massive serpent tail.

          “Or,” the sorcerer corrected himself, “it might lead to one of the fiery planes of the infinite Abyss, where dwell so many of Apep’s children.”

          In spite of the misgiving, the creature proved not to be malicious. Rather the giant lamia was a Wyrd, a sort of oracle/gatekeeper/witness. For successfully reaching the portal (which did indeed access the plane of fire) the Wyrd would grant each person a prophecy and a boon.

Unfortunately, Zorman had brought their captive along in his backpack. The wyrd heard Fatima’s hissy screams and telekinetically lifted the cultist-turned-viper free of her confinement. Fatima then used her boon to be sent through to the plane of fire.

“Hey!” Zorman voiced the parties frustration. “She was our prisoner and she has a bunch of our stuff.”

The sorcerer specifically meant the bracers of fire protection, which Goreth had foolishly given Fatima. Although, Zorman also felt they had truly earned the shirt of elfin chain, which had been Fatima’s original offered payment. Plus, of course, there was all of the cultist’s personal magic items, which the party technically won as spoils of combat. The Wyrd did not care in the slightest.

Grayson received a cryptic prophecy of where to find a new mentor to teach him skills beyond those of his church. Goreth was given more of an omen, regarding his spilt blood being magically employed to track his location. Qadira’s prophecy was unheard by the others, as they discussed the first two.

After each oracular proclamation, the recipient was allowed to drink of golden and sweet nectar from an ornate challis. The liquid imbuing each adventurer with some magically quality for the next year. In Zorman’s case, his prophecy confidently was to quaff the offered nectar. While the sorcerer was jealous that his friends seemed directions as well as enhancements, he was also relieved to not feel any sense of need to do something else.

Bernard, like Fatima, merely sought passage through the portal. While the azir made his farewells to the group, which had freed him from captivity, the Wyrd leaned into the fiery portal. When ready, the Wyrd reemerged and ushered Bernard through, at the same time escorting another traveler from the far side.

The male figure in masterwork banded mail and falcon helmet was easily identified as not being the cultist Fatima. Instead the young male human introduced himself as Mar’khet, righteous servant of Glorious Re-horakte. Mar’khet had been on a quest which led him to and through the plane of fire, loosing his companions along the way. Now, as price for his return, Market owed the Wyrd one-hundred pounds of cedar wood within three moon turns.

Zorman was excited by the prospect of aiding the paladin make payment, as he imagined returning with a contingent of more experienced priests and scholars. The sorcerer enjoyed the idea of deconsecrating the once lost temple to Thoth, or possibly the Holy Triumvirate. Thus, leaving good and wise people in charge of guarding the portals to the planes of fire and shadow. Qadira and Grayson leaned more heavily towards keeping the location secret and doing the remodeling work themselves, as a personal fortress. However, all agreed that assisting Mar’khet was a good thing to do. Fortuitously, the Re-horakte’s champion was from Luxor, originally.

After bowing politely to the Wyrd, the party of five made a final thorough inspection of the temple. Goreth discovered a couple of secret passages that he had overlooked the first time through. Some valuables were discovered in the debris of the gigantic snake’s lair. The magically animated tapestries were too dilate to move, without irrevocable damage. All the while, Goreth regaled Mar’khet with tales of the world and Zorman recounted the parties cleansing of the temple itself. Mar’khet’s first revelation was that he had been gone for three years, while experiencing one years passage. Generally though, for his part, Mar’khet was mostly just glad to not feel as if he were on fire, his armor had suitable magic protection, but the comparative cool-temperature of the material plane was still a relief.

Returning to camp, Troubadour and Sirocco had luckily been able to keep the flock of war jub jubs safe and together. It was dark, so the group saddled up and made some distance while they could. Zorman pressed Qadira for details of her traveling methods and wrote them in his journal. In spite of the fact that the sorcerer really did not understand some of the details or star designations. Mar’khet found himself even more relieved when they stopped to rest and he was able to take off his armor for the first time in a subjective year.

 

The days: relatively warm, sandy, and relaxing

At Zorman’s prompting, Grayson beseeched Thoth for the ability to remove curses. The priest equivocated that his ability to channel such energies may not be enough to overcome a Apep’s curse. Even so, it was worth a try and over the next couple of days Thoth allowed Grayson to cast the abjuration on each party member and a few of the animals.

          During down times, the group mainly listened to Goreth's tales of current events. Though, occasionally Zorman would spin one of his more fanciful yarns. Also, everyone took turns appraising the various gems and art which had been liberated from the lost temple.

 

Next?

Will the adventurers, traveling far from any civilized trail within the trackless desert, be surrounded by hyenaids and their pets?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	16. Way of the Desert

The day: tolerably warm, sandy, and vigorous

A pack a six hyenas turned out to be the animal companions of six hyenaid rangers. Fortunately, Qadira had warned her party against letting the hyenas drive them in any direction. Thus, forcing the bestial hunters out of hiding and disrupting their ambush.

          Each of the five adventurers acquitted themselves well in the ensuing battle. Even Goreth successfully dispatched hyenas with his rapier. Marchet, of course charged (several times) the largest of the hyenaid foes and suffered the most wounds for his efforts. Zorman was giddy to employ his newly acquired scorch spell (granted by the Wyrd of the Heart of Fire portal), to great effect. However, as usual, it was Grayson Endron employment of Thoth’s blessings which was most devastating. Not only did the cleric’s conjured ice beasts deal brutal arctic damage, they also effectively kept the hyenaids in place—specifically, a row which Zorman could exploit with his linear scorch blast.

          “Where do creature’s like this,” contemptuously Grayson was incredulous, “keep getting such well made armor and weapons?”

          “Well,” Zorman reminded, “the ones that captured us, several months back, were as well outfitted and intended to sell us at a sort of monstrous black market oasis. So, there’s probably a masker crafters there.”

          The hyenaids more portable gear divvied up. the large master-worked bows and studded leather were added to the cultist’s similar object within the increasingly full sun-wagon. Meanwhile Wise Thoth granted Grayson the ability to heal those who were in need.

         

The day: decently warm, sandy, and depleting

Qadira pushed the party a little past their normal mid morning stopping point. The extra travel was rewarded with a rare undiscovered oasis. At least, undiscovered by civilization’s caravans. There were four huge black rhinoceros drinking from the remark clear-blue pool.

          Qadira warned that such rhinos were notoriously ill tempered and territorial. Then, the ranger lady proceeded to, with simple sounds and gestures, calmed (to the point of laying prone) the alpha bull of the small herd.

          The group then eagerly dismounted and started to collect some of the fresh water. For while Thoth allowed Grayson to conjure technically pure water, it often tasted fishy. Not to mention that the adventurers had come to suspect that it gave them strange ideas, from time to time. Unfortunately, no sooner had the small lake’s edge been reach, than a massive swarm of diminutive scorpions poured from beneath a nearby boulder.

          The amorphous mass of skittering creatures proved to be one of the most difficult challenges that any of the adventurers had ever faced. Weapons were effectively useless, as targeting a single scorpion did nothing to stem the thousands of others. Meanwhile they crawled into robes and armor, injecting terrible amounts of debilitating poison. Before it was over, Goreth, Marchet, and Qadira had all wound up in the water, to avoid the arachnids. An especially pour situation for Goreth who nearly drown, save only by the paladin’s quick actions. Zorman’s scorch spell certainly did a fair amount to disburse the swarming scorpions. However, that put the sorcerer in in most of the harms way and he nearly died from the severe amount of poisoning which he suffered. Yet again, it was left to Grayson’s divine gifts, of miraculous ice creatures, to exude enough deadly extra-planar cold to scatter the swarm.

          Also, thankfully, the scorpions’ appearance prompted the to wander off. Rather than the screams of the party proving the beast to charge into the fray.

As Zorman could barely stand and much of the parties personal gear had been discarded for ballast in the deep desert pool, the group made camp. Though the water was deep, luckily the bottom was still with range of Zorman’s unseen servant spells. So, the sorcerer was able to re-collect whatever had been lost to the impromptu swims.

 

The day: warm, sandy, and improving

To Zorman’s great relief and devout thanks, Thoth provided Grayson with magic to overcome the poison’s muscle-stiffening effects. The sorcerer was not fully back to his limber self, however felt confident that Grayson would be able to cure the remaining aches the following day.

          Needless to say, Zorman spent the rest of the journey using prestidigitation and unseen servant to make the cleric’s travel as luxurious as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	17. Commerce

The day: tolerably warm, sandy, and vigorous

The party agreed to avoid Luxor, until Goreth could contact his “family” and negotiate a cessation of the price on his head. So, in an effort to keep a low profile the group settled for staying in Esna.

          The first order of business was to sell the various weapons, armor, and mounts collected from Apep cultists and Hyeniad hunters. Goreth located a suitably eager buyer and haggle the price up from 3,000 lions to 4,000. The funds were split even easier, as Qadira had agreed to forego her cut in lieu of being allowed to keep the magic eagle eye goggles, retrieved from a hyeniad pouch.

While not technically entitle to any funds related to the cultists, Marchet was apportioned an equal share. Zorman’s argument had been that the money was a meager amount, if it encouraged a paladin of Re-Horakte to view the party as generous and worthy enough to be a part of. Zorman also made sure that Marchet had the opportunity to ritualistically destroy the bronze unholy symbols that had been looted from, the dead cultists.

Money secured, the adventurers headed for the docks and the lumber importers. Along the way Zorman and Grayson hired a few couriers to deliver messages to their respective mentors, in Luxor. At the docks, Marchet found a cedar merchant who wanted to take advantage of the paladin’s shinny-armored appear ant wealth. Fortunately Zorman spotted Advik Yemen-Khalil, the gnomish perfumer, also buy oils from a nearby ship. Advik kindly took over negotiation and with help from smooth talking Goreth and some suggestions from Zorman, Marchet got 100 pounds of scrap cedar at a quarter the asking price.

          Unfortunately, the group’s low profile fell by the wayside. As the wood was being loaded into the party’s sun-wagon, Grayson pointed out that there were more crocodiles than usual in the nearby water, just as the beasts sprang out to attack the adventurers. From the town-side of the docks a Sobek priest and two of his followers also strode menacingly towards the fray. Marchet, having heard the party’s tales on their journey back through the desert, took the whole affair in stride and made bee-line for the vile cleric. However, this close to the water Sobek’s power was truly mighty, allowing His priest to held the opposing paladin motionless in mid-stride.

          Meanwhile, arrows flew steady and accurate from Qadira’s bow, lodging in crocodiles and Sobekians alike. Zorman scorched a couple of the reptiles and flame rayed the enemy priest, catching both the cleric and the docks temporarily on fire. Thoth once more granted Grayson ferocious ice-constructs to deal out a majority of the death and damage. Also as usual, Goreth was badly hurt (bitten by a crocodile) and sought to get his party to leave the scene, almost before the conflict ended.

          The various dock workers and pedestrians could only flee or take cover to watch the battle. Even if they weren’t scarred enough of the sudden violence, the Sobekians held a certain sway over the docks and river workers—Sobek could as easily make troublesome waters as He did keep them calm, after all. So when the burned priest and his follower fled into the water, leaving their dead companion behind, Zorman made a gesture of restitution. Tossing a handful of coins on the corpse, the sorcerer proclaimed, “Sobek’s people attacked us! We just want to be left alone! Even so, we pay for their fallen’s funeral rights.” Zorman would have liked to have been more eloquent, however the fact that the Sobekian follower that fled had transformed into a crocodile had shaken the half-elf.

From the docks, the adventures finally sought some respite from their desert travels. All but Marchet, once more boarded at the Velvet Slipper Inn. The paladin instead preferred to seek the nearest temple of his God, where the priests were overjoyed to see the return of one of their champions long since believed lost to the plane of fire.

          While Marchet was bathed and fed and doted over as a true hero, Qadira partook of similar luxuries, though she had to pay for them at the Inn and bath-house. Grayson and Zorman delayed some of their own recuperations to employ more couriers, to make additional purchases and inquiries. Zorman’s Mentor, Thana, also sent another of her apprentices with the sorcerer’s belongings, as requested.

          Least relaxed was Goreth, who felt that he could not afford to put off dealing with the price on his head. For some reason the human rogue-turned-bard also felt that he had to address the issue personally, rather than paying a sympathetic family member to work as messenger for his bartering. Needless to say, Enzo the Pool’s bard/MC was elated to collect the reward for turning Goreth in, when the foolish human in fact turned himself over for punishment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	18. fullfilling debts

The day: continued into a brisk night

Upon seeing Enzo (the Nassir entertainer and go-between), Goreth came (temporarily) to his senses. Rather than turning himself in, the large nosed adventurer negotiated to have Enzo work as mouth-piece in discussions to remove the bounty on his own head. Although, for some reason, rather than paying Enzo the agreed fee outright, Goreth made pretence of having to return in a couple of hours. Thus, leaving Enzo to question the likelihood of ever seeing the money, as well as his ultimate loyalties.

          Back at the Velvet Slipper, Goreth explained his intent regarding Enzo and asked his allies to trail him, in case of foul play. With nothing better to do Qadira, Grayson, and Zorman agreed to the request.

The party detoured over to Re-Horakte’s Esna temple, to collect their newest member. Apparently, as with most paladins, Marchet was a sort of golden boy and his return (after years away, in the Plane of Fire) had been met with a grand feast and celebration. In spite of the generous invitation for the adventures to join the festivities, they pressed on with their mission for Goreth, even co-opting the guest of honor. Marchet, as with most paladins, simply liked the possibility of conflict, more than the actuality of pampered partying.

          Fortunately, no Sobekan saw the party being ferried across the Nile, nor would they over the days to come. Perhaps crocodile priests had learned their lesson, however Zorman suspected that they were just biding their time.

          Within a block of the tavern, where Goreth was to meet Enzo, a sniper’s arrow slammed into the roguish bards back. The party sprang into action and routed the team of two would be assassins. While Goreth, Marchet, and (surprisingly) Grayson all sustained wounds, the damage was easily mended through Thoth’s grace. Not that it stopped any of humans from whinging on about their discomforts. Though to be fair, Marchet actually groused about the assailants having gotten away, instead of the dagger that had been punched unto his back.

          Seeing the attack as proof that the bounty on Goreth needed to be ended, sooner than later, the group pressed on to the tavern. Therein, the wary party was escorted directly into a central marble rotunda, whose arches had been sealed off with thick wooden inserts. The removable walls were elaborately decorated with scenes of bucolic wine making, both inside and out of the rotunda.

          Enzo was inside, although he was not alone. The bard would steadfastly claim later that “I must have misunderstood. I fully believed that Goreth wanted me to arrange a meeting, not that he thought I should speak on his behalf.”

 Thus, also present were Kiva the Procurer (Pit boss/monster wrangler of the Underground Pool), sitting before four of her most muscly enforcers. The guards loomed behind the procurer, tensed and ready to fight.

          The negations went bad fast. Goreth panicked and, without verifying how much Kiva thought the affront had been worth, he offered whatever came to mind to save his literal skin. Which meant the first thing out of the otherwise loquacious man’s mouth was a secret fire oracle in the desert.

          “So what happened to us not wanting other people to know about that?!” Zorman hissed through his group’s message spell.

          “Hey,” Goreth rubbed his upper lip to disguise the movement of his whispering mouth, “I’m keeping the rest of you out of this, but my life is on the line here. I need to offer something of equal value.”

          Which spoke volumes about Goreth’s ego, when in the bargaining to come  it was revealed that the price on his head had only been 200 lions. In the mean time, since Goreth had offered the group’s “treasure” (access to the Wyrd’s portal and their potential fortress), Grayson and Zorman felt justified in taking over the negotiations. Grayson’s contributions were less helpful as far as Goreth was concerned, though. “If you really need to take his balls, I might be able to heal him”, for example, only made Kiva’s eyes gleam as she added various amounts of flaying of Goreth to the price of his freedom.

          Meanwhile, Kiva also got somewhat side tracked by Marchet’s presence. Specifically, the Pool’s Procurer made a valiant effort to talk the paladin into fighting the evil creatures in her ring. Promises of paying Re-Horakte’s church for the glories of being able to have their paladin prove the Sun God’s might to the masses of gambling ne’er-do-wells, came close to convincing Marchet to sign himself into gladiatorial slavery. Fortunately, Zorman’s reminder that the paladin had an sworn obligation to pay a debt, got Marchet to put off thoughts of pit fighting, for the time being.

          As the bartering for Goreth’s punishment drew closer to a conclusion, the man’s pride reared its head further, as he up Zorman’s suggestion of 1,500 lions to 2,000. On the other hand Kiva had not let the Wyrd oracle idea slip away, however she had taken to referring to it as a “map to a magic place” in her counter offers, which Zorman was happy to exploit. The sorcerer explained to his allies, via scrumptious message spell, ”As long as we agree to ‘magic place’, I’ll just give the map I have to an undead city.”

          “But the monsters…” Qadira clearly lamented someone else getting a chance to take on the long lost citadel.

          At the same time Grayson suffered a bout of honesty, “But she wants a map to the Apep temple? They’ll come after us if they don’t find an oracle.”

          “Too bad all around.” Zorman answered both issues. “Firstly, I want to keep these ruthless criminals from getting access to an accurate soothsayer, WAY more than I want to fight unknown undead horrors for ancient treasure. Secondly, we don’t _know_ that there isn’t an oracle with the undead and _if_ they do survive and are mad, its their own fault for not verifying which magical place I meant. It’s buyer be ware and its working for us for a change… So, don’t nobody screw this up by blabbing about it or any of our other secrets!”

          In the end, Zorman would send a map to the undead city back to Kiva via Enzo, while Goreth was left behind to pay 1,200 lions and loose the skin from his forearms. Kiva had been very instant that she wanted to craft magical glove of dexterity enhancement and the skin of a thief was a key component. Again Zorman had talked the mage down, so that Goreth was allowed to keep his hand skin. Secretly, the sorcerer fully expected the resultant gloves to be as cursed as Goreth’s own luck, when it came to anything stealthy.

          Grayson generous-creepily volunteered to remain with Goreth, healing the rogue-turned-bard and documenting the whole process for his mistress and the Thoth archives.

Qadira was horrified, but had nothing else to offer, especially in light of Goreth’s resigned capitulation. Marchet’s righteous indignation was assuaged when Zorman explained, “Goreth has done bad in his past, even though he seems to have had a change of heart, this is his penance for those transgressions.” Even though that was laying it on a bit thick, Zorman did hope that Goreth would learn a lesson about not offering group treasure to powerful villains, especially since their bracers of fire resistance had vanished with the vile Apep priestess, for much the same reason. It also helped that once outside of the rotunda, some spell or other kept all the screams of agony inside.

          Marchet bought Zorman’s line so thoroughly that afterwards, he gave Goreth a masterwork short bow, to honor the perseverance and dedication to self betterment. The rest of the party did not agree that Goreth deserved any sort of reward, for nearly giving the Nassir access to future sight and the Plane of Fire, but they did like the idea that he might finally be more useful in battle than the hand-crossbow “twig shooter” he had been relying on.

          Before sending Enzo back to the Procurer, the party drank with him. Ostensibly to show a business like detachment to the whole affair. In truth, Zorman’s motivation was to buy enough time to have his unseen servant spell copy the map. Needless to say, Enzo received the copy, fir two reasons. Firstly, since the party had claimed to have only recently found the “magical place” the map should not seem ancient. Secondly, if the copy was flawed, then it was better for them to have the bad directions.

 

The day: warm, muggy, bright, and mercantile

Marchet returned to Luxor to report to his mentor in the big Re-Horakte temple. Again the paladin was treated to a warm welcome and glorious banquet, as well as a seemingly endless array of new masterwork weaponry. The mobile arsenal of Marchet was truly awe inspiring, especially when the paladin showed off that Re-Horakte granted Marchet’s Celestial war jub jub to travel to and from the heavens with all the cumbersome hardware.

          Goreth spent the day drinking and wallowing in the trauma of his torture and the tenderness of his magically replenished skin (baby pink and disturbingly thin).

          Qadira shopped a little, but mostly enjoyed the benefits of civilization: taverns, bath-houses, and so forth.

          Zorman visited his mentor, Thana, and recounted the woes of his journey back into the wastes and the problems with his so-called friends. Between magic items Grayson had talked about on their journeys and Kiva’s unpleasant comments, Zorman had come up with an idea and he also begged a favor of Thana to secure a particular pair of magical gloves. Since the young half-elf could pay half immediately and was willing to ultimately pay the full fair price of the items, Thana agreed to secure the gloves and let Zorman pay her back as he could. Before departing, the apprentice sorcerer asked for recommendations to reliable hireling guilds.

          Then Zorman visited Thoth’s library, primarily to make a tithing of some gold as well as copies of his most recent journals. The cautious lad also took the chance to cross reference records of consistent hireling guilds and their more steadfast members. Zorman also tracked down one of the younger priests, known to be capable of crafting magic items. Unlike the gloves that Zorman sought from Thana, he also wanted an accessory which he knew would be simple enough for even the most novice of mage-crafters.

          Zorman was not enthusiastic that his extra-spatial familiar pocket garment would cost him a magic dagger. On the other hand the sorcerer rarely used either of his magical blades. Plus, he would not need to relinquish the weapon for several weeks, until the new sash was completed.  

          Grayson scoured the markets, still desperately seeking two of the most desirable magic items commonly known. Failing to find anything of personal interest, the cleric took up Zorman’s methodology (the party had met for an afternoon meal, compare notes and make sure that none of the others were dead). Thus, Grayson sought a mage-crafter in the Library Temple, intending to commission the extra-spatial pack of his desires. Thoth’s fortune favored the priest oddly, as he found a fellow Thothite willing to sell bags of holding.

          “This needs to remain confidential.” The earnest faith-brother insisted.

          “But how did you know to come to me?” Grayson’s suspicions rose quickly.

          “Um…” the other priest hesitated. “Zarina said that she was paying off a favor for you...”

          “Bullshit.” Grayson shook head and cut the man off. “Nope, I’m calling bullshit.”

          There followed a verbal back and forth, in which the suspiciously helpful cleric grew more nervous. Citing that why should it matter and how well known it was that Grayson was in the money. Amidst Grayson’s denials, the other priest admitted to having wracked up excessive gambling debts. Although that cane about the same moment that Grayson had been claiming poverty as the third child of a wealthy merchant “Everything goes to big brother, with some left over for the beloved second child”  (continuity sidestepping the personal wealth he had in fact amassed via adventuring). Thus, the other cleric let slip a rumor about Grayson’s sister (the second child) having recently been eaten by a barghest in the sister city of Portia.

          Grayson’s distressed incredulity dampened his desire to delve further into the seedy priest’s motives. Buying the lesser of the two bags for sale, with coins and a potion, Grayson left as quickly as he could.

          An afternoon of seeking family at their Luxor states, proved fruitless, as did attempt to get confirmation of his sister’s health from the servants. It was well past midnight when Grayson finally remembered the way to his ill-favored uncle’s home. Therein the uncle consistently chastised Grayson for never checking with his family, even by letter, and made the young cleric feel as guilty as possible. Then, the uncle confirmed that only blood and a bit of leg were found in Grayson’s sister’s tower and that the scryers had confirmed a barghest attack.

          “How could such a thing even reach her, though?” Grayson still tried to make sense of the news.

          “They say,” Uncle grew quiet with familial embarrassment, “she was dabbling more and more with shadow magics.”

          Grayson and his uncle parted on bitter words and the cleric could find no restful slumber that night.

 

The day: warm, hazy, and hopeful

Zorman and Marchet were eager to make the paladin’s payment of cedar wood to the Wyrd. The latter out of word bound obligation, the former to be clear of the city whenever Kiva got around to verifying the map she had received. Goreth tended to agree with Zorman’s position. However, a morose Grayson wanted to just go to Portia.

Zorman pointed out that, “The Wyrd is technically between Luxor and Portia, with just a slight detour. So, we can head on to Portia after we drop off the wood.”

Grayson agreed glumly, but Qadira reminded the group, “I thought Grayson we needed to visit the Temple of Nepthet? U mean, it’ll be easier than trying to find elven nomads to point us towards one of their desert shrines.””

Grayson and Zorman both blanched a little. Considering the party’s track record with deities, the sorcerer very much wanted to generate some goodwill with one and returning the masks, sooner than later, seemed like n easy way to do so. The priest of Thoth, on the other hand, didn’t care for how the mask seemed to lurk in the back of his mind, staring at his brain like it was a mouse, so really did want to be rid of it.

Once more risking a ferry ride across the crocodile strewn Nile,  the whole group made their way over to Luxor. Then, through the mighty city to Fairyland, (the offensive name given to the district with the largest population of elves). Zorman always liked visiting the area as it was more of an expansive park, than a city ghetto. Plus, Fairland also housed the Temple of Bast, where the sorcerer could easily gather shed cat fur for use in his cat’s grace spells.

          An impossibly beautiful gienosphinx guarded the entrance to Nepthet’s Temple. The amalgamated creature was very displeased to see humans approaching and especially ill tempered towards Marchet, a representative of a law god. However, with polite flattery, promises to be respectful, and a brief display of the silver owl mask, the guardian allowed the party in, to seek audience with the high priestess.

 

Next Time: will the party be rewarded or punished? Who’s mouth will tip the balance to the latter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	19. Complicating Matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't spell check, sorry.

The day: continued

The high-vualted seiling and open floor plan of the Nepthys’s temple was aury and cool. The party only encountered two Nepthysians, the hifgh priestess Settian and her second in command (possibly also daughter) Lokami  The latter’s intense atractiveness was sonly surpassed by the former’s née unearthly beauty. Both elfin ladies had green eyes. Settian had expensive looking accutroments and an opulent headdress of blue feathers. Lokami wore a doeskin shift and feathery owlish helmt. Lokami’s attire, forceful mannerisms, and silver masterwork owl-claw mace gave Zorman the impression that she was a paladin, yet she introduced herself as a priestess.

          All of the adventurers were on their best behaviors. Each acted respectfully and accepted reasonable hospitatliy, before explaining their presence.

The revelation of the owl mask artifact was especially enticing for Lokami, though she did gain Settian’s permishion before colleting it. Upon receiving the mask, Lokami was briefly possessed by Nepthys, who acknowledge the party’s aid and granted that they should be rewarded. However, the manifestation of divinity departed and left the details to Her clergy.

Pius Marchet was caught between not wanting to offend a Godess by not accepting Her gift, but also unable to imagine what he could want that Re-Horakte has not already provided. Zorman thoughtg that his friends make lijeto train with their varius mentors and the paladin’s obligations to pay the fire Wyrd before the next moon cycle, would interfere with that. So the sorcerer quietly suggested that Marchet could have this other church complet his relatively menial task. Which the paladin did, albeit with more politic phrasing.

Qadira whispered her request to Lokamu, who inturn enacted a ritual which concluded with kissing the ranger’s eyelids. When Qadire opened her eyes her irises and pupils went through a sequence of expansions and contractions before sttling back to normal.

Meanwhile, Grayson and Goreth had been consulting quietly. Apparently a deal was struck, because it was Goreth who asked for directions to the Moon Path, which would lead to the Oassis of the Sleeping King and the Well of Shadows, which were the goals of the prophecy which the Wyrd had given to Grayson. Leaving the young priest of Thoth to ask for information regarding his siter. Lokami seemed to be in a semi-translike state as she verified that Grayson’s sister was in the Plane of Dream and Shadows and may yet return to their shared Plane of Iron, though that future was uncertain.

          Zorman humbly explained, “I am uncertain for what to ask directly. As you” he looked to both priestesses, “are much wiser than myself, I would seek your advice. I am worried that the abandoned temple from which was liberated your holy artifact is unsecure, still a house to the destroyer, and may have already drawn the attention of Nassir operatives. None of which is desirous, yet what could I ask that might settle such consernce? Further, and admittedly more selfishly, my studies have led me to believe that I will be seeking a draconic mentor in the relatively near future—I believe on a more elemental plane than our own and I am concerned with the logistics of such travel and survival. Yet, this seems too vague a thing. So, can you offer me any guidance.”

          Settian and Lokami exchanged knowing glances, then the high priestess nodded ever so sluightly. Lokami departed long enough to retreave a thick gold torc. Although, closer inspection proved that the band made a solid hoop, it took Zorman a moment to relize that the adornment was also too small for a headdress, so it must be a colossal ring (complete with an draconic inscription).

          Settian explained, “This is dragon made. When you find them, present it to the one who would be your master.”

Everyone in the party made appropriate gratitudes and departed. Outside the gynosphinx, Nefriti, waited, asually clawing a tree and surreptitiously watching to see of the group would attempt to leave without meeting her riddle challenge.

Zorman knew, from legend and personal experience, that sphinx of all breeds would assume that failing their riddles would be woarth body parts (vital organs mostly). However the clever creatures were compeled to play the game, more than win their opponent’s lives. So, the sorcerer approached Nefriti and bargained. Zorman got the gynosphinx down from the entire party’s liver in exchange for his being allowed to leave, to his riding jub jub, Bravo, for an imprssive sapphire in a gold necklace. The sapphire was less vakuable than a rubny which had been briefly part of the negotiations, however neither were magical and Zorman felt comfortable either way since his new war jub jub, chorus, made Bravo less crucial.

Ultimately, Zorman’s caution was wasted as he knew the answer to Nefriti’s riddles four words in—studying in every available library, for over three years, had paid of more than once. Even so, the half-elf was wuse enough to let the gynosphinx complete her riddle before providing the answer.

Zorman remained calm in the face of Nefriti’s fury over losing and made a small effort to assuage her ego, “I’m sure that had I agreed to higher stakes you would have asked a proportionally harder riddle. How else would you entice me to play again later for those more deadly stakes/”

With his noew necklace in hand, Zorman indicated that his had a bit more shopping to do and the rest of the party simply tagged along. After a brief stop at Zorman’s favorite  jewelers (to reset reset the sapphire) they headed on to Valuable Vials.

Everyone moved cautiously through the streets of wild-potion polited piddles around the alchmists shop. None more so than Zorman. However, fate somehow took affront and the sorcerer’s efforts and he slipped ankle deep into a pearly pink and blue wetness. Moments later the attractive lad was coping with the unwelcome ogling of most of his fellow travelers, as he=had transformed into a stunningly beaytuful she.

At least the transmorgrification worked to Zorman (Zorwoman?)’s adventage, in so much as it made the apprentice alchemist, Myron, much more attentive. Unfortunately, ash-snake ashes were far mopre common than dust mephit remains had been, so Zorman could only cajole two meager flasks of oleum out of the misshapen myran (half as much mephit dust  had garnered a decent ption).

Meanwhile, Marchet and Goreth priced several potions, all of which fell well outside of their remaining capital. Although the paladin did grow inordinately fond of some party favors. Vials filled with two colors of liqyud, which when shook, would glow a little brighter than a cangle, each in a particular color.

Having made the purchase of several colors of glow-bottles, Marchet seemed to remember that he could actually buy things. Presumably the lad had had very little cash or opportuntyu for such simple pleasures, when stuck traversing the Plane of Fire. So, he insisted everyone come and watch him buy a pet falcon. Qadira and the animal seller were both concerned for tMarchet’s naivetee regarding falconry care and handling, but the paladin made the purchase undeterred.

By that point in the day, Zorman had had time to reflect and rhumentate on what the party had just done. “Hey, guys,” he said, “maybe we should see if the Thothians will reconsicrate the snake temnple?”

“But that’’s our hide out!” Qadira was only mildly disappointed.

“Except,” Zorman countered, “we just sent the Nepthysians there to pay Marchet’s debt. And I betting that they will just want it for themselves and won’t be any more interested in letting us in, than they were at their temple here in town.” He shrugged. “I’d rather they get it than it than Apep, or the Nassir, but I’d like it even better if Thoth guarded the oracle of fiery knowledge.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Grauson said. “Besides, it’s not likle we we’ve been very good at keeping it secret anyway. I’ll just tell Zaria…”

“Oh no!” Zorman cut the cleric off. “Your mentor isn’t much better than His family.” He pointed at Goreth. “We need to talk to the highest level we can reach.”

Grayson was uncertain that he could swing an audience with anyone more significant than Zaria, but agreed to try. The master scheduler at the Library of Thoth was surprised at the request, but did secure an audience with the Temple’s high p[resift Amon. The adventurers barely had to wait more than 2 hours. Although, the whole time was spent with Grayson fretting, because the Scheduler made it clear that wasteing Amon’s time resulted in being re-asigned to the most grueling of accolute transcription duties.

The high preist’s audience chamber also doubled as his study and secretarial pool. EIn spite of appearing elderly, wizened and stuffy, Amon proved to be cordial, especially when speaking findly of falconry with Marchet about his newly acquired perigrin falcon. Although, Amon was a bit more stern and disappointed with Grayson, especially in regards to the young priests records keeping. It did not hep Grayson’s postion that Zorman was delighted to present his own journals.

Insrutible Amon took actual note of the tale involving the lost temple of Apep and was aware of the loist oreacle as well.

 

 

Amon likes flacons, is disappointed with grauson’s poor record keeping, expresses condolences for loss of Grayson’s siter.

Zorman and grauson explain about Wyrd and Apep temple and need to reconsicrate.

Amon irritated about Nepthysian involvement and charges Grayson to secure the lost temple as property, provides a retinue of paladins and preists for assistance.

Group once more rushes out of town. the High Priest was pleased to receive the site as a renovation for Thoth, even allowing Zorman’s one request of their group being allowed inrestricted access (once the reconsicration was comnplet). Amon was less enthusiastic when he learned of Nepthys’s probable involvement.

          Thus the adventires found themselves once more hurdly overpaying to retock their travel supplies. Amon had charged Grauson to lead a preliminary security force to the Temple post haste and secure it for Thoth before the Nepthysians could claim it.

          In general this worked well for Grayson, as the Moon Path only appeared during the fill moon and that was a week aay and in the direction of the lost temple. Marchet simply enjoyed the idea of helping purge an Apewp temple. The rest went along mostly from a sense of comradary. Although, Zorman later regretted not staying to train while the others rushed around the desert. “At least” the wizard would tell himself, “I goty the oleum to trade with the Wyrd. She might be able to aid me untangle my fture.”

 

The days: warm,dry, sandy, and focused

The next morning Zorman awoke in his original form.

That and the following day, Qadira ed the expanded party (including Zorman’s twohirelinghs, as well a the Thothians) with conviction and confidence.

On the third day out the ranger faltered, finding that the positions of certain stars were not quite what she wanted. Luckily, Marchet received divine insight as to where lay the evil that they sought to overcome.

The party found an oasis for their evening “lunch” break. Therein, Goreth and Marchet discovered cute little semi-simian creatures which seemed awed by light and generally benighn. Grayson was introduced to the discovery tookl late to convey that he recognized them from his studies. Speciifically to never feed the beasts after midnight. By then, however, Marchet was rewarding the simple cereatures with treats for followinfg simple instructions.

The mawgwi that ate turned into cisious reptilian monsters, who in turn gleefully leapt into the osis’ pool. Then the bulk of the rapidly growing horde attacked.

Everyone suffered deep cuts and gashing claw wounds. Although, the quick thinking of Grayson had him beseeching Thoth for a cadre of ice wolves, who’s intense auras of cold froze the pool before the gremlins could overrun the adventurers. Another of the priests observed that the creatures ere sensitive to light and Thoth granted him the ability to call forth a protion aof daylight. The remaining reptilian monsters liquefied in the holy light.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	20. Wyrd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's another technically messy one

The days: warn to hot to warm to venomous

The gremlin fille oasis was left swiftly behind. Qadira had the religious caravan at the fallen Apep temple within a day.

The scholarly preist fumbled and prevaricated when confronted with the practical issues of the actual temple. Zorman had to show them how to clear away the seemingly endless snakes, from the main entry chamber. Plus, there was concern over a fresh body. The adventureing party made it completely clear that they had not seen the body before, thus it could not be a guardian spirit. Even so, it was up to Zorman and Grayson to clear the snakes from the warm human and prove his mundane nature. Then it took a day before the plethor of preists could prey for the correct spells from All Knowing Thoith, in order to cure the bedraggle fellow of his poisoned wounds.

The man dressed in the armor of a Peloposian, including sporting an unseemly beard. Once revived he claimed his name was Sargent Theron Skullcrusher. Theron also sn a yarn abpout being the head of a small banmd of Peloposians sent to peaceably parlay with one of the Pharaoh’s generals. “Sand Sharks” devastated his party, leaving Theron the sole survivor to wander the desert for weeks, only to fall into the forgotten Apep temple. While it seemed exceptionally unlikely that a mere sergeant would have been allowed to conduct such negotations, the lone foreigner clearly believed his own words. Thus, the adventurers agreed to take him to officials of the State for completion of his task.

Zorman also suspected that Theron was a scout sent in advance of a rading force. Which meant that turning him in to appropriate authorities should garner some reward or minor recognition.

With prompting the Thothians finally started recording the Apep hieroglyphs, then painting overthem with Thoth imagery. However, before the re-concecration team was ready to move deeper into the buried temple, the Nepthytians arrived with Marchet’s delivery of wood for the Oracle/Wyrd. After some consternation regarding whether to allow the elvin preists fill access to the Wyrd, Zorman realized that the place really wasn’t his groups to protect any more. Zo, the sorcer secured future permission to access the temple from both sets of clergy, then headed in to see the fire/oracle.

Zorman distracted his allies with the first of the Golem entry system’s puzzles, while he ran around to the one he knew how to answer. Once in Zorman bargained away his ten pounds of cinnamon bark for some answers, directions, and a glowing fire/ruby. By the time the others arrived with Marchet’s tribuete, Zorman was merely entertaing Aurora (the Wyrd) with tails of his adventures.

Before anyone else could inteact with the Oracle, the Paladin of Re-Horakte strode forward and demande3d a prophecy. In the reciting of that omen, the Qyrd turned to ash and blew away. Thus, igniting a debate amongst all of the assembled clerics as to whether marchet had destroyed Aurora or if she might return.

Regardless, Marchet had his prophecy and he was single mindedly driven to seek it out in the Plane of Shadow. Since that was also Grayson’s destination, the adventures quickly agreed to simply set of for the Moon Path, since the time of month was right. Theron was allowed to come along, either as decoy, shield or ultimated bounty the forienger seemed liked a minimal expense to drag along.

A day out into the desert, the party was attacked by Theron’s “Sand Sharks. In truth a trio of gargantuan venomous worms. Everyone, save Qadira and Zorman’s hirelings wound up damaged and poisoned.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	21. Fairy Bazaar

Qadira found and followed the Moon Path, easily over the next couple of days. Meanwhile each day All-Knowing Thoth granted Grayson the restorative magics capable of counteracting the sand-worm poison. Thus, when the party arrived at the sylvan bazaar, all were as hail and hearty as ever.

          The fairy Souk was a wonderment of fantastic and monstrous races mingling and bartering. Similar to any other impromptu oasis market, only more vibrant and intense. Not only did humans walking in literally draw everyone’s attention, within moments Zorman was offered twenty lions for all of Theron Skullcrusher’s blood.

          As the barbaric foreigner could not understand sylvan, elfin, or any of the other minority languages actually spoken throughout bazaar, Zorman was sorely tempted to accept the coin. However, the sorcerer felt it would have been a waste to have brought the would-be invader this far, for little compensation.

          Meanwhile, Theron befriended a pig-man, named Abdul Snout, who seemed to be the victim of incomplete transformation magic. In spite of Snout’s slovenly and indigent appearance, he did know many languages and offered to as translator and possibly guide the Well of Shadows, for the low price of beer and meat (and the cheep stuff at that).

          Qadira and Marchet embraced the festive nature of the oasis and simply shopped and watched performers. Grayson was more focused on finding a way to reach his lost sister, but could not resist the occasional distracting fanciful ware. Zorman silently lamented his lack of fund, having commissioned items in Luxor; especially since he may never be able to return and collect them.

           Goreth spotted a pair of Hyenaid slavers dragging a shackled and gagged satyr in the wake. While uncertain if it was the same hyenaids that had originally bound Goreth, Grayson, Qadira, and Zorman together the rogue-bard felt the manacles looked familiar enough to spur him into action. In a surprising show of stealth, a few of Goreth’s allies spied him sneak up to and free the satyr, all while in motion behind the slavers.

          “Huh,” Zorman observed, “maybe getting kicked out of the Nassir was all Goreth needed to really shine as a rogue.” The sorcerer also moved swiftly over to the satyr and altered its coloration with prestidigitation, while Goreth gave the faun his cloak. In part, Zorman wanted to support Goreth in any success that the large nosed human could muster. More so, however, Zorman had a deep seated hatred for the canine-faced humanoids, bordering on a ranger’s fervor, so any chance to thwart any of the beasts would likely be taken.

          A good thing too, for a moment later when the hyenaids noticed the loss of their captive, Theron strode forward and soundly punched one of the larger creatures. The act insured that the satyr had time to flee, while also guarantying a fight. If not for being hyenaids, Zorman and Qadira probably would have left the bearded foreigner to his fate. As it was both shared enough hatred for the slaver race to forgo the entertainments of the bazaar to attack. Marchet, of course, found and combat with noticeably evil creatures to be far more entertaining than any dancers or juggling show, so he to joined the rest of his companions.

          The Hyenaids were so swiftly and thoroughly slaughtered that afterwards the previously contemptuous crowd gave the humans and half-elves a slightly more respectful birth.

          It became clear, to Zorman and Grayson at least, that Abdul Snout was stalling for more food and may not even really know the way to the Well of Shadows. So, the duo made more efforts to seek more reliable guidance. Furthermore, the sorcerer suspected that the cleric’s focus on getting to the Plane of Shadows to save his sister was blinding him to potential dangers, so Zorman also sought someone knowledgeable enough to give some insight as to what t expect once through the portal.

          With an appropriately gracious approach and introduction, Zorman was able to speak with Salim Mullah. Salim turned out to be the closest thing to a ruler the bazaar had to offer. The Mullah found Zorman to be diploma, tic and charming enough to invite him and his allies to the Mullah’s pavilion for food, drink, and conversation.

          The massive tent was filled with cushions, all manner of epicurean, and every shape, size, and color of humanoid (and near-humanoid) imaginable. The adventurer’s also found that it was an uphill battle on loose sand to try and get any business conducted. The Mullah especially tried to get Zorman to stay for the night, or at least promise to return later. Zorman avoided such topics as deftly as possible, fully expecting to awake in chains, from any such commitment. For the most part, Zorman’s allies followed suit, or just did not engage in conversation.

          All except Theron the crude, who quickly succumbed to the tent’s heady atmosphere. Before the other adventurers were completely aware, the bearded Peloposian had declared a desire for the “weirdest females” and wandered towards a cluster of three Illithids. Most of the party had no real idea what the tentacle faced creatures were like. Zorman suspected from the alien appearance and general context of the Mullah’s tent, that the creatures were best avoided. Grayson had actually read about the Illithid outsiders, during his studied under Thoth. However, the Theron had failed to endear himself to the priest, any more than he had to Zorman, so Grayson left the foreigner to his own ignorance.

          Eventually, Zorman’s steadfastness paid off and the Mullah verified that the Well of Darkness lay in the heart of the Sunken City, buried in the sands below their very feet. The Mullah also confirmed that beyond née impenetrable darkness, the Plane of Shadow had few physical threats to offer that were not matched on the party’s home plane. Instead the true dangers of the Plane of Shadows and Dreams were more cerebral.

          “So,” Zorman followed the lead, “No special gear to protect from temperature or the like. Is there something that we could purchase to protect against mental assaults?”

          “Interesting,” The Mullah smiled approvingly, while he considered, “one imagines that dream-catchers could be of some use in that regards… Though, of course, you would do best to just stay here… ‘til the morrow, at least.”

          Ultimately, Zorman extricated himself with non-committal promised, like “I promise that I would like to return here soon”. The Mullah further honored Zorman by providing two lovely elf acrobats as guides and hagglers for purchases in the bazaar. The Mullah also introduced the adventurers to Cricket, a sandling, capable of leading the group to the Well.

          For much the same reason that Goreth cared to free an unfamiliar satyr from hyenaids, he felt it was important to extricate Theron from the illithids that were taking turns sucking on the foreigner’s head. There process took a long time, as Theron had no interest in leaving his new friends and those same tentacle-faced creatures kept trying to get Goreth to “join”, “bring over your other friends”, or at the very least “just step a little closer, to be easier to hear.” Careful timing and diligent caution allowed Goreth to snatch Theron away, when one mind-flayer passed the Peloposian to another. The Bard-rogue then dragged Theron as quickly as he could, out of the tent and after their allies.

          Unfortunately, Theron had suffered permanent brain damage, according to Grayson. So, bad off was the barbaric soldier that he had forgotten how to speak dwarven and a fair amount of common, as well. Even Goreth quickly realized how much additional burden Theron had become, as the bearded man started flitting from one thing to another, like a headstrong child. On the other hand, Abdul Snout had rejoined the group and still seemed just as friendly towards Theron. So, the main adventures agreed to leave Theron in the pig-man’s care, if at all possible.

          Cricket also spoke of the Sleeping King, who Zorman had suspected was the Well’s guardian Wyrd. However, the Sleeper was said never to wake, which put the sorcerer in mind of some terrible tales of ancient gods whish he had once found in a particularly unsavory nobleman’s library.

          While shopping Grayson was convinced to purchase masterwork dream-catchers for himself and Zorman, while the rest of the party bought more standard versions. Other magical items and creatures were bout, including bubble blowing lizards, and Zorman parted with some favorite jewelry to trade for a Rapunzel braid.

          However, the shopping was interrupted. This time it was Marchet that had seen a captive in need. Specifically a cruel gray-skinned humanoid had a bear on a leash and was both making it perform tricks and mildly torturing it. Marchet’s instinct was to buy the animal’s freedom, but the negotiations quickly faltered. Fortunately Marchet seemed to scare the handler off and was left holding the bear’s leash.

          When Marchet removed the collar, the bear reverted to its true form—that of a male sandling. Just as Marchet was absorbing what that meant, the invisible hander struck the paladin’s back….

 

Next time the resulting battle.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	22. Well, Well, Well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the short one here. Apparently, I forgot to take notes after last session, so this is the best I can recall.

Fought  gray-skinned humanoid that had held an ashradi (sand person) captive as a bear. Durring fight a raven-like Tengu jouned in. Although, it was not clear until the battle was over on which side the bird man fought. In spite of having taken damage from Qadira’s arrows and Grayson’s ice beasts, the tengu still joined the party.

            Amon the tengu turned out to be a worshipper of Ra-Horakte and had been trying to aid Marchet in his combats.

            The ashradi was so greatful for his freedom, he called others of his people to help transport the adventurers through the sands and down to the Wel of Shadows. Stopping along the way to rest and feast with the captive’s family.

The Well of Shadows is guarded/held open by an eternally sleeping ashadi, who is said to be in constant battle with the Nightmare Court of the Shadow/Dreamlands.

As the party stepped through the portal, their physical bodies were left behind. On the other side the misty realm caused mild confusion in the andventurers. They then encountered a pack of wil-o-wisps and discovered that all magic manifested more potently and somewhat wild in the Realm, of Shadows.


	23. Lady an the Tramps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the spelling. I still don't have a good version of Word.
> 
> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)

The six adventureers, Zorman’s tinyphant familiar, Amon’s black bear companion, and Market’s pet falcon, all moved purposefully through the  seemingly timeless  mists of the Dreaming Lands. Or at least, the spirits of these travelers shared the same shadowy dream spaces. The Shadow Realm’s landscape never more than partially seen, or perhaps only partially formed. After Zorman’s misplaced confidence had led the party to a cluster of maliciously electrical wil-o-wisps, they all turned to the Priest of the God of Knowledge to durect their steps. Besides it was Grayson’s quest to find his sister Briahni, after all.

The bald cleric believed that he heard sounds from two opposing directions, a feint feminine crying one way and a more distinct thumping the other. Grayson suspected that the Shadows were playing tricks with his hearing, so he opted for the clearer thump-thump sound. Plus, the young man would always choose the route that had the least amount of walking.

The terrain grew more idstinct as the group approached the thumping noise. The mist didn’t exactly thin, rather patches there were simply more patches of solidity. Mercurial puddles and pools shimmered reflectively on a ground which had turned to a firm yet pourous stone. Then a wall or cliff-face, covered in wrist-thing pearly-gray vines, loomed up befor the travelers. The muffled thumping sounds unquestionably came from within the viny tangle.

Grayson attempted to brush the supposed foliage aside, to see if his sister was somehow trapped within, only to find his forearm stuck fast to the dangling cords. Panicing somewhat, Grayson called for the thick ropy material to be burned away and Zorman eagerly complied. The sorcerer assuned that the presit wiould simple heal himself of the inevitable damage. Even so, Grayson shrieked in pain and surprise, as if he had not foreseen the outcome. The Preist only suffered minor burns, though, and was able to prevent the flames from igniting his clothinmg.

A patch cleared away, by Zorman’s ray of flame, revealed a slender humanoid suspended upside down within a caccoon of the sticky vine-like material. The person had a hand free and was trying vainly to cut themself free with a dagger, which kept smacking the stone cliff and making the thumpiong noise.

As the captive hung over eight-feet above the ground, Amon the kenku and Market sprang to the rescue. The avian-esque druid transformed into a small tree, to give the paladin purchase from which to cut the buddled stranger free. Zorman also offered asistance, in so much that he instructed his seen-unseen servant to guide and limit the captive’s inevitable fall to earth. The sorcerer was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the Plane of Dreams effected magic oddly and made his supposedly amorphous force spell appear as a a youthful male valet

Meanwhile, Goreth spied a horse-sized gray spider lurking in the (now obvious) webbing, a few dozen feet overhead. The bardish-rogue warned the rest of the party, just as the giant spider attacked Market. While the paladin did sustain a frightful bight, he did not succumb to the beast’s venom. The Battle was swift and fierce, Qadira Goreth, and Market all aquitting themselves as well as could be hoped. In the end, Market’s kopesh sent the spider’s head spinning through the air, to fall at the former captive’s feet. Zorman had spemt the period of distraction helping his servant to liberate the archnid’s former lunch, as well as locating a glowng orb within the webs.

The new person was not Grayson’s sister, unless truly powerful magics had come into play. The male elf introduced himself as Cynd, a beguiler, and was properly polite and grateful for his rescue. Apparently, the planarly-curious  elf had been studying under a less then beneficent oneiromancer when the two of them had been attacked by the large phase-spider and dragged into the Shadow Realm. Only the oneironancer’s magical night-cap of compulsive sleep was found, within the webs.

Although, many other corpses were spotted. One of which had a magic belt which Zroman detected and Grayson identified. The belt conveyed non-detection. Zorman also had Grayson identify the orb, which the corcerer claimed to have been carrying for a long time. While some conjuration magic was detected, the spheroidal object was more of a living thing than a magic item. As  Zorman carefully stowed it in his pack, he  hoped that he could find a buyer for the (most likely) phase-spider egg, before it hatched. Zorman also secured the hat of slumber, after the second time that Cynd had been tricked (by Grayson) into putting it on. The hat magic was so powerful it even effected the normally sleep immune elf. To compensate, Cynd was given the belt of un-dectectability.

While Cynd seemed to have a strange naivety, he was welcomed to join the party. Some of the group felt it was the morally right thing to do, to not leave the stranger alone in the Dreaming, others just wanted to keep track of that magic belt or have another potential target, in case of future combats.

Grayson insisted that the feminine yells had been getting louder and more persistant. So, the group followed him once mor. Eventually most of the party also started hearing the cryes.

The mists eventually parted in a lightly wooded area, though the trees were made of marble. Within the grove, a half dozen of the human-faced hound-like creatures known as barghest seemed to be harrying a human female, who Grayson quickly identified as his sister, Briahni. Calling out to the woman, the adventures sped forward to offer aid.

Briahni’s seeming cryes of dismay turned into peals of laughter. The woman rose and made it clear that she was playing with the beasts. As the party slowed, Briahni and Grayson converesed enough to learn that she had left him instructions as to her whereabouts, in her tower, back in Portia. Further more, Grayson’s stomach fell as he revealed that the prophecy which led him to seek a mentor on the Plane of Shdow and that it seemed clear that Briahni would be that teacher.

Meanwhile, the travelers had approached close enough for Market to detect that the barghests were unquestionably evil and possibly Briahni as well. However, it was about then that the plane-walking wizard started spouting claims of having joined a Vecna cult and demanding that Grayson join as well. She even revealed a magically replaced eye and fore-limb.

While disappointed and uneasy about it, Grayson did not hesitate to give permission to attack his obviously corrupted sibling.

The battle raged furiously, though the adventurers ultimately only took minor wounds. And that, in spite of Grayson and Zorman being paralyzed with fear for a time (by the unholy baying of the barghests). All fought to their strengths. Qadira shot longbow arrows for great effect, while Goreth employed his swift invisibily to get just close enough to enemies to maximize his damage with shortbow. Market, of course, hacked expertly away at the nearest foes, while also shielding Grayson’s unmoving form. Amon called spheres of lighting into being around precise targets, while remaining far enough away to keep an excellent view vantage of the overall combat. Cynd proved his value by stealthily tracking the most crucial foe, Briahni, and enging her, while Amon’s lightening struck again and again. The sorcerer and the priest shook off their unnatural fear, in time to cast a few spells. Although, Grayson’s summoned creatures appeared as shadow panthers, rather than the ice constructs he had called for.

An unfortunate twist of the Dreamlands, since the summoned beasts had been set to surround the sometimes invisble Briahni. Unfortunate, because the foe cast a sleep effect which succeeded against the shadow animals where it would have surely fialed verses constructs. However, it was Grayson’s brilliant idea to beseech Thoth for the ability to dispel magic on Briahni, which finally revealed the truth. The appearance of the cleric’s sister was but an illusion which melted away to reveal an androgynous gray humanoid figure. Although, by that time, all but one of the barghest had fallen, so the enemy and its final canine ally fled, employing the marble trees and invisbility to successfuloly outpace the adventurers.

               


	24. Dream a Little Dream

The party was depleted, after the fight with the doppelganger and barghests, so they tried to figure out how to sleep and rest while already in the Plane of Dreaming. Cynd (the newly found elf), and the two half-eleves (Qadira and Zorman) mostly assumed they would be fine with their normal meditation rituals. Everyone else simply got bored, instead of drifting off to sleep. Until Goreth used a lullaby spell on himself and passed out.

                Zorman shook his head in disappointment, since Goreth could have lullabied everyone else first , then himself. Or, maybe the barely-a-bard didn’t have that much spell capacity. Regardless, the sorcerer felt that Goreth should have slumbered one of the group’s more prolific spell casters. At least the big-nosed human had proven that magic was the solution to getting real rest, so Zorman pulled out the hat of compulsory sleep and started his way around the party, putting each person under in turn.

                Grayson opted to stay up with Cynd and Qadira, attempting to mimic their meditation techniques. Zorman asked the ranger to remove the hat from his head when she was ready to swap watches. Then the dark-haired half-elf put himself to sleep.

                The sleeper’s dreams immediately started reshaping the world around those that remained awake, in an amalgam of what each subconscious had been projecting. This created a dilemma of the sleepers now appearing awake with no trace of their sleeping forms, yet still not really aware of their situations. In short order, those that had been awake were also part of the new dream-scape and unable to act has their wakeful astral-forms had. Especially problematic as the combined dreams formed a delightful party atmosphere which almost no-one wanted to depart. Especially Market, for he and Amon (the kenku druid) had both dreamed up a version of Glorious Ra-Horakte.

                The more agitated Grayson became, the more everyone’s deeper and more nightmarish subconscious’s influenced the environment. Even so, the congenial atmosphere over wrote the darkest aspects, resulting in more trippy interactions. Such as spiders drinking beer at the bar, Goreth growing knife hands, or Amon splitting into a half-dozen smaller  more crow like selves.

                Only Grayson railed against the festivities—thanks to a combination of having been awake before entering celebration, because he preferred to continue questing for his sister, and (most importantly) because he couldn’t stand that everyone was having a good time. Sadly, that included the priest of Thoth himself. Grayson wouldn’t even hug the dream-Ra-Horakete, especially after Cynd and Market rerouted that in was like embracing a warm summer’s day.

                Grayson’s desperation to break free of the dreaming and Zorman’s desire to socialize as a peer with the powerful beings that her admired, combined to summon a form of All-Knowing Thoth. At least some of the True aspect of the God of Knowledge and Magic was manifest. For when Zorman instinctually paid praise and tribute to Thoth the deity whispered a secret truth onto the sorcerer’s heart. The Wisest of Gods also bestowed a scroll onto Zorman, intended for the half-elf and His cleric Grayson.

                The scroll read “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”

                Zorman looked inward and realized that the secret on his heart was a sort of truth equation. After handing the scroll to a now cower-moping Grayson, Zorman set to writing out the equation with chalk on the floor.

                Grayson found a more direct spiritual route and came to the minor epiphany that the his truth was that he was dreaming. Thus, the cleric’s astral form ”awoke” once more in the formless mists of Shadow. Zorman’s equation provided the same conclusion and he appeared with sight of the bald priest, shortly thereafter. The rest of the adventure’s were not to be seen.

                Zorman realized that his internal form of that truth was a bit more profound that what Grayson claimed he had done. Firstly, the sorcerer understood that he would always be able to “Know” where he was. Secondly, Zorman wrote out the equation on parchment, then replaced the sleeping hat on his head.

                Once back at the dream-within-s-dreamland celebration, Zorman retuned the hat to his backpack then systematically made each of his allies read the equation. Although, disturbingly, the formula now appeared to be written on a half-elven heart. As each party member comprehended the equation, they vanished from the festivities and re-appeared with Grayson. Ending with Zorman rejoin the group and pocketing the equation, now once more on parchment.

                Luckily, everyone effectively got enough rest to recover some vitality and the necessary mental fortitude for spell casting. Although, Cynd was confused, shucked, and temporarily dismayed to realize that his dream-party interactions with Grayson and eventually Thoth had resulted in being chosen by the God of Knowledge as one of His fledgling clerics. The dismay largely stemming from the loss of some of his beguiler knowledge. Zorman attempted to assuage some of the full-elf’s crisis of conscious, also partially brought on by Cynd’s having more devoutly worshipped Anubis than Thoth or any of the other deities.

                Meanwhile, the rest of the adventure’s were expressing greater desires to simply leave the Plane of Shadows and Dreams. While Grayson agreed, he also still wanted to insure his lost sister’s safety. Fortunately, the priest had asked Enlightened Thoth to grant a location spell. The Devine insight was for objects, rather than people, but Grayson knew his sibling at least well enough to be confident of her always wearing her personalized signet ring.

                The cleric led the party in fairly short order to a version of the Pharos’s Temple-Palace. Although, on the Plane of Shadow the structure was twice as large, in all dimensions, and made of dark and luminous marble. The walls, courtyard, and halls were patrolled by man-faced lions and lion-headed humanoids. However, none of the guardians barred the adventurer’s way or challenged their progress, though they were watched with an intense hunger.

                Grayson’s spell led the group into the palace and down. Eventually to a viewing area, overlooking a relatively sparse torture chamber. Within the chamber seven quasits flew about and tormented a Grayson’s sister. Briahni, while clothed in her wearing robes, lay in a sarcophagus-like cage, seeming to resist the demonic ministrations as stoically as possible.

                The adventure’s readied for battle, including many spell-based augmentations. Then, burst into the dungeon and slew two of the quasits, before Briahni could fully express her frustration and displeasure. To make the matter worse, Grayson’s attempt to verify this was not another doppelganger or other magical deception only enraged Briahni into lunging at her younger brother. Which in turn, caused the trigger happy Amon and Cynd to lash out with lightning strike and arrow (respectively), nearly killing the woman they had all come to “save”.

                Once Grayson depleted all of the healing magic Thoth had granted him, Briahni was able to explain. “I was training, you dolt! I had to summon those things and get them to do my bedding?”

                “Uh,” Grayson’s stomach sank at what he suspected, “training for what?”

                “To be a better malcenvoker, obviously>”

                Not only was Briahni all right, she had already started the career that Grayson had imagined would be his special niche. Further, Briahni had actually left a note back in Portia, which their older brother had discovered easily. Specifically, the note explained that there was a tapestry in Briahni’s room in Portia which functioned as a portal directly to the Malcenvoker Academy.

                With a little prompting from Zorman, Grayson snapped out of his petulant gloom, enough to be introduced to the mentors on staff. The rest of the adventurer’s were also introduced, though only Zorman showed any interest in actual socializing. Amon actually had a hissy fit about not getting paid for inviting himself on a quest without establishing a hireling price for his presence.

                Grayson and Zorman were able to present their journeys with enough aplomb to impress the malcenvokers. In spite of personal amazement at how purely lucky their party had been.

                Amongst other things, Zorman learned that by entering through the Shadow Well, the group would be expected to pay in order to return to their bodies. Also, it had likely been nine to twelve month on the material Plane, compared to the deceptive “few days” of the Realm of Shadows. Zorman also confirmed that he had been carrying a phase-spider egg and that t would garner more value on the Prime Plane, but getting it there would probably require a physical person to go from Dreams to Prime. Eventually, Grayson secured an invitation to study at the malcenvoker palace.

                Briahni even allowed the group to experiment with her tapestry portal. Sure enough, everyone could go back and forth through the portal, however Cynd was the only one that remained physical on both sides. The remaining adventurers were disembodied spirits on the Prime Material Plane. Although, the “ghosts” “felt” a tugging in the direction which they new led to their actual bodies.

                Zorman felt confident that Cynd’s eccentricities made him trustworthy to a literal degree. So, the sorcerer secured a promise from the beguiler to carry the phase-spider egg and care for until Zorman could return in person and retrieve it. Then, the rest of the party all passed into the Prime Plane and immaterial followed their instants back to their bodies, hundreds of miles away.

                Inevitable experimentation sped up the groups progress. Firstly by simply passing through buildings, trees, hills, and so forth. Secondly, with minor effort of concentration “walking” wasn’t necessary and the party was effectively pulled towards their sleeping bodies. While no physical threats mattered, an astral sky squid was  encountered and almost ensnared Goreth. Market, of course wanted to slay the beast, however the rest of the party was desperate for their bodies and the paladin could not justify not protecting the others on the journey. After three non-stop days, with no apparent need for food or rest, the group plunged into the desert sands, near a dried up oasis (no moonlight fairy bazaar in the daytime).

                Below the sands, the adventurers emerged into the Sleeping King’s temple chamber. The eternally slumbering ashradi lay as he had before, on the cusp of the Shadow Well and flickering between realities. The party’s bodies also lay as they had fallen, geared up for travel and tied together by a rope. Although, the wakeful ashradi had lightly coated each sleeper in just enough sand to help insulate their body temperatures.

                Everyone awoke as soon as they entered their bodies. The journey had been long, so no-one pursued the curiosity of trying to enter some-one else’s form. Everyone woke ravished, parched, and exhausted. Everyone had all of the equipment that they had originally entered the Dreamlands with. Zorman even had a bag of coins, he had found amongst the phase spider webs. However, Amon had been given coins by Briahni, to stop his whining, and they were only an image on the Prime Material Plane.

                Before departing, Amon gave everyone a goodberry and he and Grayson summoned refreshing water. Outside the Sleeper’s Chamber, ashradi accolades were located to lead the group elsewhere

                The ashradi were exceptionally impressed with the groups survival and amazed at their return without paying a great price. The sand people provided food and rest for a day or two and informed the travelers that they had been gone for a year. Amon felt full of himself for convincing an ashradi to give him fifty lions for the picture of money that he had, only to learn later that the marks on the image were an effective banking guaranty worth well over the fifty lions depicted.

               

There followed a week or so to get to Luxor from the fairy oasis and another to get from the Capital to Portia. Then five and a half month (twenty-two weeks) of various intensive training for the each of the adventurers.

                Grayson spent most of his time on the Plane of Shadows and Dreams.

                Zorman’s training included more sorcerous advancements for the first half, then an introduction to a new amethyst dragon for the introductory aspects of a more prestigious set of knowledge. Specifically Thana used what Zorman had provided to contact Tacticus (the young amethyst dragon the party had liberated from the underground Pool), who in turn relayed a message to his mother Lucetta. Lucetta was intrigued with the idea of training the helpful half-elf, but wanted proof of his dedication, before mentoring him directly, so she tasked her elder child Intelecticus to teach Zorman the basics.

                When Zorman succeeded in learning what was expected, he was told that Lucetta would accept his offering (the giant gold ring, acquired at Nepthet’s temple), on the Plane of Earth, when next he was ready to undergo such training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	25. New World Order

Over the six months of training, the seven adventurers stayed effectively in and around Portia, to be near enough to each other for occasional visits. Though, Market and the two newest misfits Cynd amd Amon really only stydied under their new mentors for about half of the time. And, of course, Grayson was technically in the Plane of Dream and Shadow while acquiring his malcenvoker tutelage. Similarly, Zorman’s xorcery mentor got him in contact with amethyst dragons, who took up the half-elf’s instruction in the ways of the wayarumm tadrus. Only Qadira and Goreth studied their crafts in the traditional manner for the whole six months, after the latter found his new bardic mentor.

                Over the weeks the party found periods to meet, eat, and confirm their interests for the future. The most surpsrising news from that time was Grayson apparent and grudging increased familial affection for his siblings. Zorman spearheaded a push to return to Luxor as a more permanent base of operations, even floating the idea of saving up so that the group might purchase property there. In spite of getting on better with his brother and sister, Grauson still had a volatile relationship with his father, enough so to eagerly support Zorman’s interest.

                On the journey back to the Gyptian capitol, the adventurers discussed how best to secure the additional fund needed to buy property. The two most favored options where either delving into the bloodsewers below Luxor, or seeking the Undead Citidel in the Great Desert. Even though the Luxor branch of the Nassir crime-Family had been given a copy of Zorman’s map, the supposed undead seemed more likey to have more teasure worth looting. Besides, Zorman had heard that the Nassir had sent two expedition and neither had returned, so their gear and valuablke should be out there, at least.

                Upon entering Luxor, the group’s progress to the Silken Veil was curtailed by an expansive and elaborate military parade. The adventuruers weremostly just glad to partake of the spectable. Only Zorman bothered to ask around after the parades purpose. The weyarumm-tadrus sorcerer was mildly unsettled to be met with almost zealotous nationalism and the hints of possible Gyptian expantionism. The latter being a matter of statecraft, Zorman had no real interest in, yet the former seeming largely out of place compared to the populations attitude of a year and a half earlier (before the travelers had lost time on another plane and then trained in another city). Also, it seemed odd that news of national military expansion had not been spoken of in Portia, the Empire’s second largest city.

                Market did remind the party of the prophesy which he had received from the Wyrd of the Well of Fire. Specifcally, that as hey drowned in Dreaming a Pharo would be born, bright the sun and terrible the velture.

                The unease spread to more of the party, after the parade. Making their way forward again, the group passed city guards puplicly flogging four street vendors, whos only crime had been not moving away from the parade fast enough.

                Then, while the advenmterers were just checking into the Silken Veil (and discovering a steep inflation of prices), a renown nobleman-general, Dars Lor, arrived with his retunue (includuing one of the palace’s large sphinx). Dars specifically saught the Son of Gray and his companions, to delever an invitation to the Pharo’s Court on the following morning.

                While Zorman, Market, Amon, and Goreth were as intrigued as Grayson, over the invitation, Qadira merely hung back, disgusted with the type of person she perceived Dars to be. Cynd remained his perpetual disinterest. Grayson’s attempots to probe Dars more the reasons or purpose of the invitation only succeeded in proving that the nobleman was as unaware as the invitees.

                While Dars spoke with the adventurers, his assigned sphix ate one of the local street dogs. The dog had been a favorite of the community, though no-one spoke up, to th epiunt of actively hiding their displeasure. Zorman counted ths as yet another ill omen.

                The remainer of the dau was spent in individual shopping and preparations for the following morings regal audience. So, the party was bedecked in suitable splendor as they were ushed into the gleaming marble efdiface of the Pharo’s temple/palace. While half the size of its Dream Realm counterpart, the Palace far exceeded that in full color opulence. Every surface shone with high pilish, marble, intricate mosaics, presuius metals and gems.

                As was always the case with nobles a heavy amount of nonchalance was exhibited and expected. So, as the groups passed through the vaulted courtyards and inner chambers, they mingled with other courtiers and dignataries. Amon spoke with ambassedors from his homeland of Karatur. Zorman gossiped with other courtiers of a scholarly demeanor. Market and Cynd focused on the gormet refreshments provided. Grayson was practivally tongue tied when he had the opportunity to speak with Thoth’s Highest of High Priestesses, 123. Unfortunately, none of the travelers were able to decern more of why Grayson had been summoned, or even how he had caught Pharo’s devine attention. Regardless they group was fairly elated for the honor of being there.

                All good feeling came to an ubrut and dumbfounded hult, however, when the party was led before the thrown. Where they had expected to see God-King Ramses XIV sat God-Queen Zaria I. Somehow, during the group’s time away, Grayson’s former sadistic mentore had supplanted the real Pharo, not to mention fullfiling Market’s prophesy to a horrible tee.

                Ever subtle I, in public, Zaria had the travelers prostrate themselves and coying questioned Grayson. As the innuendo filled interigation went on, Market and then Zoraman were called up to the throne to be petted and “complimented” on their muscularity and beayty (respectively). The pair were then granted the honor of sitting on the Queen’s dias.

                As the confusion cleared, the party realized that Pharo Zaria was offering each of them positions of employment within the Temple/Palace. All that knew Zaria knew well that such “honors” wer attatch to many strings—oftern far to tightly wound around extremely sensitive body parts.

                To Grauson’s credi, he equivocated, knowing better than to directly refuse Zaria at the best of times and her as Pharo was astronomically worse. With magically projected whispers, Goreth assisted in proposing alternatives. In a brash and potentially deadly impilse to aid further, Amon spouted some story of a mission accepted back in his homeland.

                The Karatur dignataries blanched, but did not refute the lie. By then, the audience had grown more casual, enough so to allow Amon to go off and confer with his couintrymen, in a corner. Utimatly the druid secured the assistance he saught, though more to protect the ambessedors from being entangled in scandle than any other reason.

                In the slightly more conversational atmosphere, Grayson fell pray to the enate curiosity which made him a chosen of Thoth in the first place. The malcenking cleric quietly ask Pharo, “So, you remember what it was like, before I went to the Plkane of Shadow?”

                While Grayson made the queery sound earnest, he failed to say it quietly enough. Zaria’s righteous glare flashed on the bald former pupil and She announced to Her court, “It seems travel has made thus one tired.” She gestured to Market and a couple of other Temple/Palace guards. “You and you two, show the Son of Gray out and to a place in which to rest.”

                No-one missed the subtext. Grayson was led out of the Palace and tossed into the gutter. Since the cleric-malcenvoker had also understood the command, he wnent willing, in an effort to mitigate the roughness of his manhandling. The rest of Grayson’s allies followed, inder Court’s disapproving sneers.

                At least, Market’s presence meant that the other guards wanted him to prove loyalty by being the only one to beat Grayson, once in the gutter. A boon, as the paladin was willing to make a show of it, without actual damage, and Grayson played along convincingly.

                Once Market returned to the Temple/Palace, the rest of the party speed-walked away. They conversed in panicked and hurried wispers, trying to piece together what had happened and how. Many wild specylations were posited, from Zaria had been gathering power since she met with Zorman’s old master, the illusionist Opalescentbeard, and when she used to have Grayson collect artifact (like the scroll he had when they been captured by hyenaid slavers), to theories of wish spells or summoned Djinnis, or foreign devine intervention. Some of the party had noted an unusual and clearly new mosaic in Zaria’s throne room, in a place of honor was a depuction of “The Strong One” a female Godess with two swords from one of Gytios’s smaller and older conqured nationstates. Regardless, the group needed to deside thir next moves.

                Qadira felt it was possible to redeem themselves and re-secure the position’s Zaria had been offering. Though the noncommittal ranger was not exactly advocating the ate,mpt. Amon, encouraged everyone to follow through with the mission to Karatur, which his countrymen had drummed up Cynd seemed even more detatched than he had, possibly undergowing some internal strygglke. Goreth and Zorman thought leaving Gyptos wsa likely the only option, to avoid futher Pharonic attention. Though Zorman doubted there could be far enough to run on the Prime Material Plane, since Zaria was preparing her armies for an expansionsist regime. Grayson, however, was adiment, “We either find a way to undo what She did, or I’m leaving to stay in the Realm of Shadow.”

                Without any better ideas, the group split up to try reaching the extent of Zaria’s reign. Zorman especially hoped that further clues to what had tryly happened would arise, yet he could not be so optimist that a solution would also appear.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	26. Back to the Sand

Market spent his days in unmatched opulence. Although, the paladin did have to attend Pharaoh Zaria quite frequently, as her favored boy toy of the moment. Thus, Market a renown hero of Re-Horakte spent a lot of time giving massages, fanning with a palm frond, and generally being nude (often as a “table” or “ottoman). At least the muscular paladin was wise enough to not offend Pharaoh, while also gathering some small measures of information regarding the state of Gyptian affairs.

                Market employed his trained falcon as a carrier pigeon, to convey messages between himself and the rest of his traveling companions. However, it was over a week before a message came back that wasn’t “Hold tight” or “stay the course”.  
                Goreth sought out old Nassir contacts and learned that The Family was doing better than it ever had in the previous reality. Pharaoh Zaria’s lax (to malicious) morals had trickled throughout the empire, leaving the crime family almost legitimate. Plus, with Gyptos preparing for ware, the Nassir stood poised to make a great deal of money from weapons trafficking, supply manipulations, and new sources of slaves. Not to mention that the Family had been profiting nicely as spies and informant to Pharaoh, against her subjects.

                Zorman research the new history of Gyptos and its current Pharaoh in Thoth’s temple. The sorcerer also spoke to his former mentor and friend Thana. Luckily, the conversation was in Thana’s home, so that when Zorman started suggesting that Zaria had not always been Pharaoh, Thana was able to move the talk to a more secure location. Specifically, Thana had a tapestry-portal which led to the Plane of Earth. More importantly, the senior sorceress made it clear to Zorman that she and other knew that Zaria had enacted some major magical take over and that Zaria had spies of all sorts (magical and mundane) everywhere. So, no hint of Pharos true origin would be tolerated.

                Zorman fretted that Grayson’s instincts were accurate and their only hope to be free of Zaria’s sadistic scrutiny would be on another plane of existence. So, the foreword thinking spellcaster sought magic to make that potential future easier. The collector that Zorman found had a fairly powerful magic item, however even after haggling the man wanted close to twenty-thousand golden leos, or a manticor (living strongly preferred).

                Zorman, unfortunately, could not recall much about the magical beasts, from his various researches. In fact, Zorman just thought that manticor were a sort of brutal lesser sphinx. So, the half-elf started with some hope of getting his allies to capture one of the monsters for him.

                After speaking with the owlish Warrior-Priestess Lokami, at the Nepthysian temple, Zorman looked into more professional methods of capturing  a manticor. Including asking Goreth to arrange a meeting with Nassir rangers—employed to bring in wild creatures for fighting down in The Pool. Zorman learned that manticors were vicious, intelligent, poisonous, and worth roughly five-thousand leos to the Nassir.

                “At least,” Zorman thought, “if I can pull this off, I’ll be making a much better deal to sell to my buyer, than to Goreth’s old family.”

                That was a BIF IFF, however, since Zorman could not find a suitably powerful magic item for sale or rent, that would help secure a wild manticor. Nor could Zorman afford to pay or tryst the Nassir rangers as hirelings.

                The reason for Zorman’s trip to the elven district of Luxor and the Temple of Nepthys, had actually been as guide. Cynd the so-called beguiler had “found: a disturbing object and Zorman led the full elf to the temple for proper disposal. A “so-called” beguiler for that is what Cynd had called himself, since that tended to be more well received than calling himself a rogue. It had been especially fortunate that the malleable Dreamlands had helped convince the new party of the mild ruse, along with Cynd’s own distraught Nature.

                The object was a mummified elf's hand and Lokami was respectfully pleased to ensure that it would receive honorable disposal. The priestess also easily perceived Cynd’s grieving disposition, over his mentor, something the planer traveler had not fully realized himself. So, Cynd was grateful to accept the offer of a place within the temple to process his emotions, while his fellows dealt with their business’ in the capital.

                Qadira normally liked to spend her time in so-called civilized places just relaxing and carousing. Especially since the ranger bore the brunt of responsibility for guiding her party around deadly hazards, when they traveled beyond the of city walls. Sadly, with the uncertainty of Zaria’s interest in Qadira’s group and the eminent war brewing, Luxor was not nearly as relaxing as it had been in past visits. It was especially difficult to keep a low enough profile to not be conscripted.

                Similarly, Amon the Karaturian tengue druid, spent most of is time avoiding his countries ambassadors’ and their “gatherers”. As much as Amon wanted to return to Karatur, he wanted to do as tour guide for his new friends. Even more so, Amon did not want to be hustled into a crate and shipped home “for his own safety” and to make the delegates’ lives simpler, just because they had been disappointed with his spur of the moment embellishments when speaking with Pharaoh Zaria.

                Grayson laid low in the most literal sense. Fear of and depression over Zaria’s new position kept the young cleric-malcenvoker weeping in his be, at the Silken Veil.

                When Zorman, Goreth, and Qadira had finally conveyed all of their findings and suspicions to Grayson and Amon. Speaking circumspectly and via a whispered message spell, the group concurred that they would prefer to reverse Zaria’s wish, or whatever it was, or depose her outright, or simply flee to another plane. Market’s notes and Zorman’s research had provided some clues which suggested the old Arabian deity Al-Uzza might be the key to Zaria’s success and potential downfall. However, all such goals (more research, hiring assassins, acquiring gear for safe living off the Prime Material Plane) required more capital than they currently possessed. So, they decided to follow through with an earlier plan and simply raid the undead citadel for which Zorman still had the original map (given him by Thana and poorly copied for the Nassir). This plan also meant that the party would appear to be merely going about their lives as before, should Zaria really be watching that closely.

                A carefully worded note, via falcon to Market, provided the paladin a worthy excuse to ask Zaria’s permission to leave Her immediate presence, albeit temporarily. Since the cause was truthfully to seek and destroy undead, Zaria even granted Market a boon to bypassed on to the Temple of Re-Horakte. Furthermore, at the temple they were so pleased with the boon and Market’s plans to assault creatures of negative energy that they bestowed upon him a new and magical kopesh.

                The rest of the adventurers also prepared as best they could for another trek through the uncharted desert and the probability of encountering undead. Most notably Goreth secured a quiver of master crafted silvered-arrows. Grayson convinced the rest of the party that holy water wouldn’t really be of much use, while also being costly and heavy. The cleric and Amon were also eager to call upon their deities of magically created water, food, and goodberries, so few rations were bought. Grayson did finally succumb to jealousy and he got a hireling, to keep partially up with the two that Zorman employed. It was even a pleasant surprise that when told of the adventure, Cynd also wanted to come and he bought a bright blue war jub-jub to rival Grayson’s.

 

A few days out into the desert, under Qadira’s unshakably confident guidance, the party came across a flock of wild jub-jubs. The flock happened to have an exceptionally rare male with white and black banding on his cobalt wings. The males in the party convinced Qadira to let them help her capture the rare bird for resale, when they all returned safely to a proper city.

                The ranger provided clearing instructions for flanking maneuvers, to drive the flock where she wanted. Amon was especially excited to finally be able to use his mimicry and magical horn to imitate a dragon’s roar. Zorman’s use of the sunstroke spell only made Qadira’s charm animal spell harder to resist.

 

Four or five dry, dusty, and hot days later, the group came upon an oasis teaming with more people than any other oasis previously seen by any of them.

“Oh yeah,” Qadira nodded in recognition, “this is the Solaris temple. It must be miracle time.”

“Who’s that?” croaked Amon.

“Miracle time?” asked Goreth.

“Yeah, yeah,” the ranger explained, “on a regular bases… not exactly yearly, but sort of every eleven to thirteen months, the Goddess Solaris is supposed to pass miraculous heeling onto worshipers at this temple.” Qadira shrugged. “They must have an artifact of some kind, because I don’t recall any talk of the deity manifesting.”

                While Grayson scoffed at the idea of such a lesser deity having such a following and power, Zorman was as eager as Market to see the temple and its trappings.

                Most of the crowd was a twisting and turning line of pilgrims. About half the pilgrims were unmistakably ill or wounded, most near to death. The other pilgrims were the friends and family members, providing transport and support to those in need. Approximately 20% of the whole crowd were just merchants and gawkers, capitalizing on the pilgrims.

                Amon gleefully replicated his dragon roar, again, under the extremely wrong assumption that it would be entertaining for the huddled masses. Cynd, at least, was pleased as he took the opportunity to “find” some insufficiently attended wealth.

                A crippled waif identified Market as a servant of Re-Horakte and begged for the God’s assistance with his recently mangled foot. Market was pleased to lay hands on the child fully healing the puss-filled wound. Unfortunately, the paladin had not thought far enough ahead, so other pilgrims quickly beset the paladin for Re-Horakte’s blessings. Market stuttered and stammered, uncertain of how to explain that the Sun God would not allow him to heal any more of them on that day. They concept seemed too much like an admission of failure on his or his God’s part, yet Market couldn’t simply turn away from those in such need.

                Fortunately, for the paladin, Cynd was compassionate enough to use the blessing which Thoth had thrust upon him to heal a couple of people, under the auspices of Market’s guidance. By then Amon, fellow worshiper of Re-Horakte, had spotted Market’s need and come over to hand out goodberries and ply his more mundane healing arts. Unable to stand the praise and attention glowing to his allies, Grayson was also finally prompted to channel Thoth’s graces onto the wrenched ill. The aristocratic cleric wasn’t moved enough to “waste” any of the charges within his wand of healing, though.

                With the miracles taking place outside of the oasis temple, Zorman was able to move up in line quite a bit. Although, there were only two haggard priests of Solaris, so the wait still promised to be long. Zorman didn’t expect any healing, but hoped that a generous donation would afford him the chance to possibly receive some other blessing.

                Somehow, Market’s favored life followed him even here. With no more aid to offer directly, the paladin went to stand with his friend Zorman. The crowd and line parted before Market, as the strangers recognized the paladin who had made such miracles happen before their eyes. Distractible as ever, Market barely said hello to Zorman, before accepting the offered path, out of course, and striding right into the temple. Zorman merely rolled his eyes, sighed, and followed Re-Horakte’s servant.

                Within, the temple was more a of walled grotto with a spring of clear water and a crude shine carved into the natural stone, in which was also embedded a head-sized metallic rock. While Zorman’s donation of a hematite was gratefully accepted, it garnered him no special considerations. Market’s presence and deeds outside, however had the Solarns practically begging the paladin to touch their sacred relic.

                Upon placing a reverent hand on the shiny metallic stone, Market began to glow golden. Then the paladin silently beckoned one pilgrim after another forward, toughed them, and completed healed each. After several such miracle, Market released the relic with gasp.

                With some wonderment the paladin described have been transported to more heavenly place. “Therein two Gods dwelt. Their visages were too glories to see directly, though I knew both to be feminine. One spin and endless thread, which spooled through my fingers. The other wielded two blades , like whirling winds, just shy of cutting me.”

                The clerics of Solaris were dumbstruck. For the miracle of healing to manifest in this manner was rare enough. The vision was unheard of and somewhat confusing

                By then Grayson and some of the other party members had made there way inside. With Market’s Vouchsafing, Grayson was permitted to touch the relic stone.

                No sooner had Grayson touched the stone, a bright flash filled the camber. A moment later, all could see clearly. Where Grayson had stood was a bi-tailed goldfish, falling from head height into the clear pool of spring-water.

                Now all present were dumbfounded, followed shortly by confused panic. Luckily, the senior Solarian, rallied. Scooping fish-Grayson onto the stone, the humble cleric called upon Solaris, and Grayson once more stood before the assembled—soaking wet and fairly shaken.

                “Was an ibis, flying over and wading in, the Celestial River!” Grayson spoke with far greater reverence than ever before. “I beheld the Ever-Shining Sun Barge, with Glorious Re-Horakte at Its helm and Righteous Bast road beside Him. Then a trout of steely silver caught my eye, so I went to eat it. Only…” He shuddered.” Only the trout’s maw gaped wide and black and endlessly empty, and It swallowed me!... Then I was small and in the pool and confused.”

                The solarians confirmed that nothing like this had ever happened before. Between the religiously and scholarly minded, (including the Solarians) the group concurred that the two visions pointed to an interloper near the Gods of Gyptos. While not necessarily a threat, Market’s vision included a deific woman with two swords which was almost certainly Al-Uzza, Pharaoh Zaria’s probably benefactor.

                Zorman worried that this indicated that Zaria wasn’t just bad news for them, but that Her expansionist plans would feed more power to Al-Uzza, who would in turn would expand with similar force into the Gyptian pantheon.

                With such foreboding omens around the party, they were granted a place to rest for the day, but strongly encouraged to continue their travels as soon as possible.

 

A few hot, sand filled, days later Qadira called a halt. “Um, I think there’s something in our way. Grayson, hand me the spyglass.”

                After a moments rummaging in his bag of holding, the cleric handed over the device, stressing, “Here’s _my_ spyglass.”

                “Yep,” the ranger confirmed while peering through the gnome crafted tube, “That’s just not right.”

                The spyglass got passed around, so each adventurer could see. A wall of unnatural blackness stood two or three stories high and stretched for what may have been miles in either direction.

                “Do we go around?” Goreth’s voice held a hope they all shared.

                Qadira shrugged, “We can try, but that’s going to take us way out of our way and we can’t be sure how far what ever it is covers, front to back.”

                “So,” Zorman swallowed hard, “that might actually be the undead citadel, or at least surrounding it.”

                “I would have to get closer to be certain,” Cynd said, while handing the spyglass back to Grayson, “but that seems like an extra planar effect. Such a large one is incredibly rare and they don’t usually last long. At least, not as long as they are not being fueled.”

                The party spent another night progressing towards the wall of black. Each hoped that the phenomena would simply collapse in on itself, before they reached it. None of them really believing that it would.

                At the black-edge, Cynd confirmed, “Yes, indeed. See there,” he pointed to the ground, “the sand at its edge is also blackened. That is reminiscent of the ebon sand of Tartarus, a plane straddling that of Earth and Negative Energy.”

                Cynd was agree to explore into the black. Market was almost as agree and not about to let a friend step alone into potential peril. With ropes around each man, the rest of the group took up braced positions, ready to yank their allies back.

                The pair had barely breached the dark, when Market tugged to have both retrieved. The paladin was extremely uncharacteristically shaken. Within the extra-planar effect, Market had been utterly cut off from any semblance of Re-Horakte’s light, physical or otherwise.

                Cynd had no such qualms and returned to the black, before anyone could protest. What seemed like many long minutes later, Cynd signaled for retrieval. Back in the light, the elf was clearly dehydrated and almost looked mummified.

                Thoth allowed Grayson to summon water. In short order Cynd was more like his old self and reporting, “Approximately forty feet in, there is a clearly unnatural fissure, cleaving deep into the ground and running beyond sight. I couldn’t get too close, though, because there were scores and scores of desiccated bodies clustered near the edge.”

                “Like the remains of a battle?” Qadira asked.

                “No,” Cynd shook his head, “like merchants and travelers that had walked to the edge and collapsed.” He gulped more water. “But that’s not the worst part.”

                “What is?” Goreth shifted uneasily in his saddle.

                “When I got closed to one, it sat up.” Cynd shuddered. “That’s when I noticed I wasn’t feeling right and tugged on the rope.”

                “We should get away from he…” Goreth’s advice was caught short.

                Market’s voice rang out, “Too late, the evil is coming!”

                Parched grey boney hands preceded their owners, as the first half dozen undead lurched into the predawn light.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	27. Rift and Away

As the severly desiccated bodies shambled out of the undulating curtain of pitch darkness, the adventuring party snapped into action. Paladin Marchet, of course, strode forward to take position between the undead threat and the rest of the party. Zorman the fledgling wayarumm tadrus ordered his two and Grayson’s one hireling to a safe distance with the spare jub-jubs and Scuttles (the group’s pack giant scarab).

                   The score or more of the dehydrated corpses were blessedly not nearly as threatening as they at first seemed. Certainly Qadira and Goreth weakened the foe

s, with expertly placed arrows, while Zorman and Amon called upon their magics to incinerate a few. Greatest thanks was to the wisely chosen disciples of Thoth and Re-Horakte, though. The undead horde was identified by cleric-malcenvoker Grayson as ashen husks and then almost completely turned away by the combined faith of Grayson, Cynd, and Marchet.

                   Only one of the zombie-like husks withstood the holy trio, to unleash it’s inner swarm of biting black-flies. The flies proved more troublesome than their host undead, surrounding Marchet, Thoth’s acolyte Cynd, and masterful archer Qadira. The paladin stepped away unfazed, while the latter two suffered uncontrollable retched and could barely stumble out of the cloud of insects. Once their allies were clear, Amon called lightening and Zornam channeled a beam of five intense energies to eradicate the bugs.

                   Still under the effects of Grayson’s spell, to see in unnatural darkness, sneaky Cynd re-entered the veil of blackness. The Elf hoped to verify that the remaining ashen husks had simply run off the cliff, to plunge back into the planar rift and Tartarus beyond. Cynd’s hopes were confirmed, though they were also replaced with a greater horror. Returning to the relative brightness of the desert night, Cynd reported, “Run! Everyone must run now!” As the part moved to comply they sought further clarification and the elf said, “Two hideous fleshless creatures are climbing towards us fast! Stop talking and run!”

                   All of the adventurers were able to mount up and start galloping away. Although, Marchet did make certain to help Cynd, as the last encountered ally. The group wasn’t quite fast enough, the two creatures burst from the black veil, in a blur of unhealthy pick exposed muscle. The humanoid forms paused just long enough to vomit impossibly large cones of bile and acid, severely wounding Cynd and Zorman and their jub-jubs.

                   With the threat fully present in the world Marchet’s moral code demanded that he stand to destroy them. The rest of the party rallied to their paladin’s side. However, most were ready to flee as soon as Marchet was incapacitated enough to drag him away.

                   “By Holy Thoth’s Quills and Pinions!” Grayson exclaimed in fascinated horror. “Those are rawbones, or at least, that’s the closest Gyptian translation from Abyssal!” The priest then warned his allies. “Not only are they fast and do that acid vomit thing, they also use their entrails as lassos. Plus, they’re stupid tough. Only silver or magic weapons will harm them… Oh, and they’re immune to the effects of cold.”

                   Even as Grayson explained, the others acted against the rawbones. Amon called forth a cactus-pricker profusion of entangling vines and tendrils, trapping the undead atrocities in the center of a wide and snarled patch. Goreth handed out the special silver tipped arrows he had purchased, then he Qadira, Cynd, a Marchet let fly. Not wanting to burn away any of Amon’s vital restraints, Zorman provided only distracting magical damage as support. Grayson, similarly, beseech Thoth to materialize a fiendish bison, which drew the undead’s ire, while the party torn them asunder from a distance.

                   With the immediate threats vanquished, the party made a more overall assessment of the rift and it’s black veil. Amon transformed into a crow, while Grayson called forth a fiendish hawk. Marchet bristled at the unholy twisted version of is god’s symbol, but said nothing. The magical birds verified the tear in reality was roughly a mile long and two-hundred feet  wide. Furthermore, flying within the darkness did not cause pain, in the way that walking on the blackened sands had done.

                   Most exciting, from Zorman’s point of view, was that several miles beyond the rift was the highly reflective sea of glass. A seemingly literal expanse of vitrified desert surrounding a city. A city which Zorman simply assumed was the undead citadel, thus supposedly offering the location of both the quest to gather treasure from the unholy unloving and the chance to secure a manticor for the sorcerer’s bargain back in Luxor.

                   Moving well away from the veil of darkness, the party traveled north to detour around the planar hole. As day approached, Qadira spotted disturbing tracks left by as yet unseen predators. So, the half-elf ranger detoured the group further north and east (rather than the originally intend west), in hopes of finding a more secure location to rest for the excessively hot daylight hours.

                   Qadira’s instincts proved fruitful, as the party came upon a walled village of oddly bee-hive shaped mud buildings. Before the adventurers’ could reach the wall, however, a band of astride rose from the sand to vet them. The adventurers’ spoke civilly and acted peacefully enough to garner themselves access to the village.

                   The village turned out to consist almost entirely of booka shepherds, small statured gray-skinned pacifists. While cautious, the booka were polite and happy enough to accept gyptian coin for lodging and services.

                   The group spilt up to shop and speak with the locals. Cynd found that the booka had at least one truly exceptional leatherworker. Thanks to the astride presence in the village, the leather-smith even had a suitably sized set of master-crafted armor for the elf to purchase.

                   After an hour or so, the party reconvened at the village’s one inn, where they compared notes on what they learned, before bedding down for the day. The booka were vary aware of the rift, which had appeared fifty years earlier. Zorman was able to confirm from his research in Luxor that Zaria had only ascended to Pharaoh twenty years ago, so at least this one horror was not Her fault. In fact the cause of the rift was know to e related to the cause of the sea of glass. Specifically the city within the glass had been at war with necromancers from the citadel to the south and the final magics involved decimated the city melting the sands around it to glass and opened the planer gap.

                   The rift had started fairly small and grew rapidly as more and more mortal lives fell prey to the negative energies and creatures within. Once that connection was made the rift seemed to stabilize, as fewer  and fewer living things would approach.

                   Several of the party members were heartened to see a connection between the rift and the other two locations. It at least offered a two places to start looking for a cure to the planar wound would. Although, Zorman was mildly disappointed to learn that the undead and the manticor were in two distinctly separate places. The sorcerer had been entertaining hopes of saving a manticor from an undead assault, thus offering leverage for convincing the manticor to do as Zorman requested.

                   As it was the adventuring party agreed that striking out for the undead citadel was most likely to be most useful. Definitely offer opportunities for  smiting evil, almost certainly providing treasure to collect, and a chance to discover how to seal the rift.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	28. Two Trips Down

Zorman awoke in the old widow’s home, which passed for a tavern in the small bhukka village, and started preparations for travel. The sorcerer tended to rise earlier than his companions, from several years of working as a hired guard on caravans. Those same experiences are also why Zorman had developed the habit of checking his gear and valuables every morning, or whenever a stranger touched or bumped him. While the half-elf’s personal equipment was in order, going to inspect the group’s sun-cart proved problematic.

                   The sun-cart itself was fine, however the party’s giant scarab beast of burden, Scuttles, was missing. Foon, the bhukka stable boy, attempted to convince Zorman that the exceptionally well fed and unwaveringly docile large insect had gone mad and burst from its stall. The sorcerer enlisted his comrades and together they cajoled something more truthful from Foon. Which led the adventurers to the house of Foon’s friend Ookal. Amon employed non-lethal magic to temporarily dazzle Ookal, when he tried to flee. The commotion drew the attention of Ookal’s mother, who literally twisted Ookal and Foon’s ears, until the full story was revealed.

                   The stable boy and his friend Ookal, had been illicitly smoking in the stables. Then the adolescents got it in their heads to take Scuttles out for a wander around the village. When the rapscallions encountered an equally youthful, yet far more near-do-well pair of ashradi boys, the instinctively passive bhukka turned over Scuttles to the larger bullying ashradi.

                   Ookal’s mother directed the party to speak with Joon the Juggler, an ashradi lay-about, who proffered to frequent the tavern rather than work. Zorman used prestidigitation to help clean some of the bhukka matrons home, by way of thanks for her help.

                   While Drunken, Joon still proved helpful as guide, albeit for the price of a golden lion. Joon said that the ashradi boys in question, Travik and Noam, where his cousins, though the latter fancied himself a tuff called Spike. Luckily, the ashradi settlement was accessible by a tunnel, through which Joon led the group. The would-be bard explained that there was an under ground river and that the local ashradi mostly made money by hailing water for the bhukka shepherds and farmers. A task that many did by hand, but the most well off used giant scarabs.

                   At the subterranean river, Qadira easily identified Scuttles, even though the bug had been painted green. When the two young ashradi with Scuttles were confronted the one calling himself Spike swiftly melded with the sand floor and fled. Tarvik was not so quick, got caught, and grudgingly confessed. Although, the confession included, “We just did it cause my mom broke her leg and is too sick to carry water. This was gonna help her.”

                   Most of the party found the story touching, though they still wanted verification of its veracity. Tarvik led them all to his tiny one room hovel, where his fevered mother was being tended by his younger sister. Amon used his druidic magics to cure the infected leg wound and Cynd called on Thoth’s Wisdom to heal the ashradi’s broken limb. Zorman was surprised that Grayson was willing to quietly let the two new comers show him up in the healing department, but said nothing. The woman proved grateful and suitably chastised her son. Though again, Zorman wondered if it had been Thoth who had orchestrated the whole affair.

                   Before departing, Goreth attempted to surreptitiously leave some coins for the proud yet destitute family. Cynd saw the gesture, yet seemed oblivious of its purpose or value, so just as surreptitiously gathered the pouch and returned it to Goreth. When the large nosed human tried to explain about selfless charity, Cynd merely shrugged. Then the quirky elf returned to the hovel, dropped the pouch unceremoniously on the floor, and left.

                   Joon accompanied the adventurers back to the widow’s tavern, hinting that he might like to join the party. When the travelers explained that they were headed to the undead citadel before returning to Luxor, the bardling balked. However, Joon did offer a map for sale, “My people supposedly dug an escape tunnel for all the fanciest necromancers, back during there war with the City of Glass. Whether we did it or not, there’s a concealed passage there. I’ll give you the directions to its entrance, for say a thousand lions?”

                   Zorman haggled Joon down to three-hundred and the party split the cost. By then it was late enough that the group delayed their journey ‘til the following evening.

                   The roughly twenty-five mile trip to the undead citadel took almost three full night’s of travel. Overall the desert sand was much looser than usual, slowing progresses each footstep sank in and had to be pulled free. Then there was also a terrible sandstorm, which had the travelers held up in tents for many hours. The cleared hole was wide enough to get a cart or two through

                   Joon emergency exit was found with relative ease, though Qadira, Cynd, and Goreth had come close to falling into the large hole, loosely covered with sand. The remains of a rotted scaffolding/ramp way, 6 ft down, implied that is in fact what the gap had been used for.

                   Zorman had his hirelings hold one end of his magically extending braid of hair and the party descended. Unwilling to part with the useful item, the sorcerer indicated that the hirelings could always use rope from one of the party members’ mounts, or he or Amon could fly up and re-lower ropes, as needed.

                   It was about then that Goreth pointed out that the shadows of the ceiling were moving and the group was in combat. First a sickly gray-black multi-headed dragon came into view. Then a cloud of mist congealed into another, confirming for Grayson that they were a pair of vampiric hydras (hydrampires? Vampydra?). Plus, a third dismembered hydra corpse’s rotting head also slithered forward under undead power.

                   Qadira and Cynd were almost immediately dominated by the reptilians gaze. The rest of the party held themselves together long enough to close ranks. Grayson calling on Thoth to hide them all from undead. Unfortunately by then Cynd was in the mouth of one of the vampydra’s, though Marchet valiantly pulled him free without disrupting Grayson’s divine protection.

                   A hurried discussion confirmed that the party did not believe that they would be able to successfully sneak back up through the hole, from which they entered, even with the hide form undead spell. So, the team fled down the only other passage, presumably towards the interior of the necromancers’ abandoned citadel.

                   Although, Goreth did dawdle, saying, “Zrman, can I barrow your lorgnette of magic detection? I think there might be something in that rubble.”

                   Zorman trusted that either Goreth would survive to return the magical lenses, or retrieving them would be further incentive to return and slay the abhorrent hyrdampires. When Goreth rejoined his friends, in a sheltered alcove too small for a hyra head, he bore extraordinary gifts. There were six magic items in hand and more that had to be left behind.

                   Grayson employed his identifier’s loop on each item. After explaining the powers of each, the priest-malcenvoler nsited that they all randomly choose who picked first and so on, then each would select one item. Goreth picked the pale ghost touched cloak. Amon claimed the staff of insects. Zorman was stunned with his fortune to be able to select the rind of protection. Grayson vacillated, but eventually picked up the other ring—capable of negating a single pre-chosen spell. Which left Marchet to choose the sidestepping boots for himself and the rod for silent spell casting for Cynd. The party would revisit distribution, when and if they could free Cynd and Qadira from the vampiric domination they still labored under.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	29. Hydrampires!

Cloaked in Thoth’s hidden from undead blessings, the adventurers moved with cautious confidence away from the lair of the Hydrampires. Mentally dominated Cynd and Qadira steadily insisted the group return to “the Masters”, but were otherwise compliant with the directives of their true friends. The tunnel contended on, past the ceiling hole which Amon had scouted. Thus, thankfully, the entrance to the undead structure lay further on and the hole merely provided access to the night sky and desert.

          It took the party several hours to find their hirelings and mounts. Had the ranger not been mind manipulated the process would have been much quicker. As it was the hirelings had moved to an even safer distance, adding to the level of difficulty for a tracker-less group.

           Goreth and Amon made emotionally strong pitches to accept the magic found as enough treasure and return to Luxor. Marchet, Grayson, and Zorman out voted the other two, in favor of re-entering the passage and destroying the monstrous undead. The paladin really didn’t have a choice, while the sorcerer and priestly-malcenvoker saw no reason to leave any valuables behind. Qadira and Cynd’s arguments to “Return to the masters. They need us all. They’re so

hungry, our blood shall sate them., were discounted.

Once rested All Knowing Thoth granted Grayson the power to dispel the magical domination the had gripped the ranger and elf. The party then planned their assault on the vampydras. Ultimately, they bedded down early, in order to wake with plenty of daylight left.

          Once more Wise Thoth allowed his vassal to hide the party from undead. Then all returned to the monster’s lair and positioned themselves with the shaft of sunlight. Grayson also beseeched Thoth to create a circle of protection from the evil things. While the spell casters boosted their allies and readied to summon various creatures, Marchet donned the magical plate-mail, which Goreth had spied during his earlier visit. The paladin labored under the additional precaution of a normal silence spell, cast by Grayson.

          The battle was swift, brutal, and copious. Amon and Grayson’s summoned animals drew the attention of the zombified heads of the third dismembered hydra and alerted the more indigent Hydrampires of the undetectable party’s presence. Even so, the adventures struck the first blow (dispelling their specialized invisibly). All of the party’s precautions paid off greatly. The only member to take damage was Marchet and he knew for certain that had he worn his original banded mail, he would have suffered much more gravely.

Cynd finally saw the value in Insightful Thoth’s gift of being chosen as a cleric, when his magically enhanced stones flew try and strong to wound the nearly impenetrable hides of the vampydras. Zorman’s ray of flame easily struck the colossal beasts. Goreth and Qadira’s arrows (enhance by the former’s bardic sonic magic and the latter’s bow ms) flew furiously, at least half of which found their marks. Meanwhile, Grayson’s fiendish ape and Amon’s small fire elementals and flaming spheres harried Hydrampire and zombie-head alike, keeping the party members from being targeted.

The hours of planning and long minutes of spell casting resulted in a battle of less than half a minute. The vampydras dissipated to dust and the zombies left as inanimate rotting mounds, the party scoured the remains of the shattered ramp and palanquin (and the long lost owners possessions). Treasure in hand, Amon wild shaped into a bird and Zorman cast the primal form of an air elemental, then they flew up to lower a rope for the others. Back at camp, the team divvied the loot and discussed what to do next.

Feeling quite strong from their decimation of the hydrampires, and because Marchet felt that he must make sure the citadel was cleansed, the adventurers readied to enter the foreboding edifice proper.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	30. Undead Tunnel

After resting and healing for a day, the adventurers once more left their few hirelings to guard the mounts. Upon re-entering the so-called secret tunnel (aka former vampydra lair), Grayson once more call on All Knowing Thoth’s graces to hide the group from the senses of undead.

          The tunnel ceiling lowered gradually to a more typical eight to ten foot height and natural stone gave way to more and more signs of having been hewn. Then a gentle, yet distinct, slope took the party further down. Dank moisture started to coat the walls and eventually form brackish puddles. The evaporation, in turn, left fairly large salt crystal deposits on the tunnel’s surfaces.

          Goreth and Zorman’s immediate recognition of the salt’s monetary value, prompted all of the adventurers to start idly gathering crystals, while they proceeded deeper into the tunnel.

          As usual, in dark situations light was provided by Grayson casting light on an otherwise powerless ioun stone and Zorman’s continual flame (usually hidden with a secret panel of his Thothian holy symbol). Neither of the sources of illumination spread very far though. Thus it was only those of elfin blood and the tengue, Amon, who saw into the dimness beyond the magical light, well enough spy the attacker before it was upon the party. to spot. A semi-insectoidal rocky-looking creature the size of a very large dog, scurried across the cave roof with single minded focus on the paladin.

          While Amin did not know the creatures Gytian name, he knew that it hungered for metal and would be the detriment of Marchet’s newly acquired magical plate-mail. With the forewarning, the group was able to respond swiftly enough to keep the abomination from damaging anyone’s armor or weapons. Zorman had his unseen servant collect the creature’s antenna (as they had been used for striking) and some of its shockingly green blood. Goreth and Cynd collect their vials of the blood.

          As the party continued towards the undead citadel, the tunnel continued its gradual decent into the dark brackish water. Not wanting to turn back and with no better ideas, the adventurers pressed cautiously forward. The liquid readjust below most of the party’s knees, en they came upon a disturbingly lifelike statue of a lizardman, in the center of the wide tunnel, and crusted in the ubiquitous salt crystals. Goreth recounted a tale of a fabled tribe of nomadic lizard-folk, renown of their exceptional wealth and supposedly hidden oasis. Marchet and Cynd verified that the statue was so realistic that its stone spear was a wholly separate piece, which the roguish elf acquired for himself. Otherwise, the statue provided to clues or insights.

          Pressing onward, the water had crested higher than the knees of most of the travelers, mid thigh on the shorter members, when Marchet froze and squealed “EVIL!” the paladin’s divine senses had discovered that the [arty was surrounded, though no-one could see the threats. It was unclear later whether Grayson’s spell of obfuscation had expired or if the hideous foes had simply retained a enough intelligence to see past the divine protection.

          Luckily, Marchets warning gave the group just enough time to properly ready themselves. Especially, beneficial n that it allowed time for Grayson to channel Thoth’s blessing into a protective circle around the party. The foe, zombie-like lizard-folk were powerful enough to pass the protective barrier, however it still hindered their movements.

          The melee was grueling. Almost every suffered damage, before the lizard-zombies were vanquish. Marchet, Goreth, and Zorman had each come quite near to death, saved only by Grayson readiness to channel Thoth’s divine healing magics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the spelling. I still don't have a good version of Word.
> 
> A [compendium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7469652) can be viewed for supplemental data. There are also maps: [Gytios](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Map-621278934) and [known oases](http://gitariart.deviantart.com/art/Gyptios-Oases-Map-621281093)


	31. Undeath Consequences

With the amphibious zombie lizardfolk barely vanquished and the brackish waters showing no signs of getting any shallower, the party retreated back to their desert encampment to recouporate. Zorman made sure to prestidigitate everyone’s garments clean and dry, as soon as they departed the subterrainian  salt lake. An especially welcome relief, as a surprising number of the adventurers had somehow been paying so little attention that they had not registered how much water damage their clothing was lijely taking. Goreth and Market each having magical footware were particularly thankful, when it was pointed out that such magic was not a guarrenty against ruin.

          At camp, Amon and Grayson brainstormed to create a method for traversing the underground water hazzard

Market and Cynd strongly advocated. With the shattered palanquin from the hydrampire lair, Amon’s old wooden shield , and of few other pieces there was tentative consensus that a raft of sorts might be fashioned from the cleric-malcenvokers use of make while and the druid’s abiolty to cast shape wood. In the end, Market and Cynd’s plan to simply trek overland tyo the citidel’s main entrance was what won the most votes.

          Grayson had not progressed far enough in the channeling of devine energies for Thoth to allow him to cloak their entire party in a sindle hide from undead spell. The seven adventurers, three hireling, nine mounts, two andimal companins, and one giant scarab would simply take up too much of Grayson’s protective abilities for the day. Fror some, seemingly petulant, reason  Cynd could not be bothered to pray for the same spell from Thoth , to relieve any of the more expeirieced cleric’s burden. So, the troupe agreed to make their way to the ditidel’s entrance, then entrust the hirleings to lead the mounts away to a safe distance, while the adventurers delved deeper into the undead fortress.

          The pearlescent sands around the undead city were exceptionally blinding, Even Zorman, the only party member to own sunshading goggles, found it difficult to see. Even so, it was somehow Cynd who spotted ominous dust plumes moving towards the group.

          With the elf’s warning, Zorman starting casting cat’s graces and mage armors on those who could benefit. Not wanting to waste any of the spell’s duration, Amon resisted csting his call lightnening, until actual targets could be identified. Yet, this did not explain why neither Amon nor Especially the party’s malcenvoker chose to summon any otherworldly allies. Especially, since both devine casters had proven an previous encounters that such summoned creatures could be used for scounting and intimidation, even if they weren’t commanded to attack anything. For some reason,  the longer Grauson’s summons last, the less he was willing to call them forth.

          Inevitably the party was mostly surrounded by a dozen huge dire cheetah skeletons, who (like the zombie lizardfolk) displayed far more intellect than the knowledgeable adventurers expected. In the first moments of engagement, every adventurer had taken grievouswounds, save fpr Zorman. The sorcerer was by far not the onthy ranged attacker, he had simply gotten very lucky.

          They party retaliated as best theyu could, however, Grayson was struck down, requiring Amon to forgo an attack to channel healing magic into the cleric. The near loss was surprising, since Grayson had rarely ever been even slightly wounded, but then again he used to always prepare summoned monstrousities to shield himself and the group.

          As soon as Grauson awoke, he drove off four of the horrible skeltons with the devine glory of thoth. Unfortunately, at that same moment Marrket fell before two of the other elephantine foes and more were moving in. Again acting grously out of character, Grayson choose to heal the dying paladin before shoring himself up with magical health or summoned allies. A fatal choice, for as Market regained consiouness, Grayson was struck with another bony claw that wounded hum far beyond tpical healing magic’s abilities to revive.

          By then the party had destryted four of the skeletal emnmies and four were still fleeing Thoth’s glory. Two of the undead beasts were dragging off the slain forms of one of Zorman’s hirelings and that man’s mount. Even with only two mmidiate threats, the party was too demoralized to go on and the beat as efficient retreat as they could. Grayson’s body and possessions were successfully retreace, largely because Gorth had lost his mount and needed the fallen comrades jub-jub to get himself away.

          Neither Market nor Cynd had any luck communing with their respective deities, though it was not clear that Cynd actually etried very hard. Fortunately, Amon claimed to receive a clear sign from Re-Horakte that Grauson’s spirit would like to return to the Reams of Men and continue his quest to right the wrongs of Pharaoh Zaria. Thus, the party moved with swift relentlessness back to the buhkah village. As much as everyone was certain that Grayson would have preferred to be raised or resurrected back into his original form, the party knew it was highly unlikely that they could find a powerful enough cleric to perform either of those rituals, not to mention that all of their resourses conbined would not cover the cost of the material components, let alone the caster’s fee. So, it was that the group pooled their funds ad beseeched the buhkah’s hugh druid to reincarnate Grayson. Amon would have happily performed the rite for his friend and ally for free, but he simply could not challen the devine energies needed.

          The miracle worked. Unsurprisingly, Grayson returned to the land of the living as a buhkah.

 

Whatever will the disinterested and destracted adventurers do next?

**Author's Note:**

> What will happen next?...


End file.
